Alive, But Barely
by LovelyDeath97
Summary: A "Last House On The Left" A/U. Jack X Hiccup. If Someone Hurt Someone You Love, How Far Would You Go to Get Revenge? Warning: Contains Slash, horror, gore, drugs, murder, rape, and violence. Not particularly in that order.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story started off as an idea from my Tumblr. Now it's a reality. Warning: This story contains drugs, violence, rape, murder, brutality, and slash. Not particularly in that order. R/R!**

"For your crimes you are sentenced to death." Read Frollo. His words were simply boring and meaningless to Flynn who was strapped to the chair mindlessly drumming his fingers on the armrest. Did they really think he would be afraid of death? Did they really think he would cower in fear and beg for forgiveness before he was plunged into the pits of hell for the wrongs in his past?  
"Do you understand?" Flynn was asked.

Flynn pursed his lips and stared off in thought. He had expected his death to be grand and large. Like some kind of extreme way to go down like a war hero exploding in battle, or being dunked into a sea of ravenous sharks; something memorable to stick inside the corners of everyone's thoughts. They'd say things like, "Yeah the weathers great lately. Hey, remember that guy who fell into a pit of sharks?" That was the way Flynn wanted to go.

But not this way. Not strapped to a chair with every inch of his body tied down so he wouldn't struggle as they injected the long nail-like needle into his upper arm like injecting a madman to put him into temporary sleep. Except this wasn't meant to be a temporary sleep. He wouldn't close his eyes and drift off into dreamland before wakening back up in his cell. They wanted him to close his eyes and stay in the dream land forever. But they couldn't make him do that. He wasn't going to let them.

Flynn let out a sigh. "No I don't understand. You see, this chair is very uncomfortable. Could I possibly get a nicer one? Like the one in your office. The one you bang Cheryl on." Flynn smirked at his own retort. The nurse behind Frollo blushed with embarrassment and rage at the same time. She was an old hag with white hairs and very little left of her beauty from her youth. Frollo scowled.

"Flynn Rider you are being sentenced to death. Do you have any last words?" Frollo sounded curious. Frollo was rather disappointed he wasn't able to interrogate Flynn further. He had so many bodies connected to him that most of them will never be unearthed or mentioned. Their memories will die with him. Frollo had spent countless hours in his office trying to verbally beat a confession out of Flynn. Flynn would simply brag about how his, "buddies would come to pick him up" soon enough. Now even as Flynn stood at the hands of death, he continued to sport a cocky grin that sent waves of repulsion and fury through Frollo.

Flynn mimicked a serious face before resuming his grin. "Yes I do in fact. Tell Cheryl I said hi." Flynn nudged his head towards the wall behind Frollo.

The sight before him was truly gruesome. The door had been picked without him even noticing. Blood already stained a good portion of the wall. Frollo had suffered issues with his hearing but to not hear the sound of the act before him was preposterous. Cheryl lay in a huddled heap on the ground. Several knife wounds allowed coppery blood to pour from the newly opened wounds. A single eye hung by a red vein and dangled from the empty socket. Frollo resisted the urge to vomit but instead let out a high pitched scream.

"Bye Cheryl." Flynn teased. Frollo turned to confront Flynn but instead met the eyes of a tall man and his brother hovering over him like vultures in the night. Frollo could only run so fast before he was caught by the throat. The brother's hand was almost large enough to completely engulf Frollo's frail neck.

Gothel stepped through the door careful not to step in the pools of blood that spilled over the floor. She herself had a few splatters across her face like she had come back from a face painting at an amusement park. The knife in her hand was dosed in the blackish liquid. She comically tried to wipe it off on the girl behind hers shirt. She stepped back with disgust.

"Please d-don't do that." She begged. Another boy behind her rolled his eyes.

"Oh shut up Rapunzel. You're such a puss." He grabbed the knife from Gothel's hands and wiped it with a handkerchief. Greedler, as he liked to be called, slipped the polished dagger into his pocket. He shoved the nervous girl playfully. "C'mon. You can snap his neck if you want."

Rapunzel curled her lip at his sordid offer. "Fuck off." She spat. Rapunzel turned away from Greedler. She had hoped to wait in the car with Oncie. But they had practically forced her to come. Rapunzel would rather be anywhere but here.

Frollo gasped as the grip on his neck tightened like a noose. The brother looked towards Gothel for permission. She nodded her head and stated, "Put the poor man out of his misery."

The brother tightened his grip, and snapped the old man's neck.

"Great." Flynn mumbled. "Now get me out of this fucking chair."

**XXX**

Hiccup felt something tight around his waist, too tight for that matter. He struggled to free himself from the grasp but the arms around him tightened like a python.

"Jack." He groaned. He could feel Jack's sinful hands glide down lower than they should have. Hiccup smacked the hands away like a teacher smacking a student's knuckle. Jack playfully smacked Hiccup back only not on his face. "Quit it." Hiccup snapped. He had barely gotten any sleep last night thanks to Jack. Now he had to worry about being crushed to death in the middle of the day.

Jack sat upright. Hiccup took the time to notice that they both were shirtless. Well, that was an understatement. They both wore the same amount of clothing as newborns. Jack didn't seem to mind. But Hiccup did.

"C'mon Hic. Why don't you relax? We can reenact last night." Jack drew circles over Hiccup's arm with his fingertips. Hiccup quivered beneath Jack's touch. Hiccup wanted to go back to sleep. But part of him wanted Jack to explore him further with his devilish hands.

Hiccup halfheartedly tried to pull away from Jack's grasp. Frankly he didn't want to get up. He wanted Jack to tug him back beneath the covers and kiss him and tell him that he loved him like he had done countless times before. Hiccup gave up his fighting and slipped back into bed with his loved one. Jack took this as a sign of victory and embraced Hiccup with a heartfelt and lustful kiss. Jack smirked at the sound of Hiccup moaning beneath his lips.

Jack loved the way Hiccup moaned. He loved the way Hiccup did everything. The way he walked, slept, kissed, blinked, cried, even laughed. Every experience was like watching a great film that they were the stars of. Only no director was going to yell cut when Jack gripped Hiccup by the hips to try to push him onto his lap. Hiccup shoved Jack playfully.

"You woke me up for this?" He demanded with a playful tone in his voice. Hiccup was done fighting. He wanted to enjoy tonight just as he did last night.

"Of course. Trust me; you'll be glad I did." Jack spoke between kisses. Hiccup wrapped his arms around Jack to hold himself up as he grinded down hard on Jack's member. Jack responded with a yelp that Hiccup cut off with another crashing of their lips.

"You know I'm going out with Toothless today right? He's picking me up any minute." Hiccup suddenly remembered his best friend. Plans were plans and if Toothless walked in on them…

Jack laughed half heartedly as he was contemplating what to do in this situation. Both of them wanted each other but they couldn't risk getting caught. The awkward levels were already dangerously high whenever Toothless and Jack were in the same room. Jack never got why but he always had the feeling Toothless had it out for him; like he didn't truly trust Jack.

"We have a few minutes." After that Jack nipped Hiccup lightly on the flesh of his neck. Jack loved the feeling on Hiccup shuddering against him.

There was a loud knock on the door. Jack rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated groan. "Thanks' a lot Toothless!" he shouted as he reached over to grab his pants. Hiccup couldn't help but giggle at how flustered and red Jack looked from both arousal and embarrassment.

Hiccup gave Jack a reassuring pat on the back before slipping out of his bed to dress. "Be there in a sec!" Hiccup yelled from across the room.

The room itself was very messy. Hiccup had to overturn his basket to find some decent clothing to wear that didn't smell like cheese and mildew. After Hiccup had arrived at the lake house both Jack and Hiccup were too busy with each other to notice what was going on around them. Dishes piled up and clothes went unwashed for days only to be reused as if it was a recycling hobby.

Hiccup slipped on a nice pair of his favorite jeans, a green t-shirt and his brown hoodie that Jack had given him for Christmas. Hiccup seemed ready and dressed despite his messy bed hair. Jack snatched his elbow as Hiccup made his way to the door. "Wait." He paused to make sure Toothless hadn't tried to let himself in like he had done numerous times before. "I got something for you."

Hiccup blushed at the feeling of Jack's hot breath against his ear. He wanted desperately to reach out and kiss him but he was curious as to what the gift could be. Hiccup watched with awe as Jack pulled out a small box from his pocket.

The box was small and palm sized. Its colors consisted of a baby blue and a darker ribbon tied in a neat bow. Jack nudged his hand forward ushering Hiccup to take it. Hiccup's hands quivered with nervousness as he placed the small box in his palm. With shaking fingers Hiccup undid the ribbons and allowed them to fall gracefully to the floor like escaped feathers from a pillow. Inside the box was the most beautiful thing Jack had ever given Hiccup.

It was a golden, thin chain with a small locket connected to it. Hiccup looked towards Jack for permission to open it. Jack nodded and kept his goofy smile even as Toothless continued to knock at the door.

Hiccup opened the locket to see a picture of Hiccup and Jack from their first date. Hiccup could remember it like it was yesterday.

_After many weeks of asking and being rejected by Hiccup, Jack finally got a chance when Hiccup gave in and agreed to go on a date with him. Jack had picked Hiccup up in a sports car painted bright colors of red, green, and white. "I borrowed it from my boss, North. He calls it the 'sleigh." Jack had said._

_Hiccup remembered how the whole time he was trying to turn Jack away so he'd get the hint that nothing would ever happen between them. That was until the end of the night. Jack and Hiccup had spent the day at the carnival playing games and riding rides. But one ride Jack had his eyes on the whole time, the Ferris wheel. It was like the gods were on his side because Jack and Hiccup stopped at the very top._

_Hiccup held his pepper spray in his pocket prepared for Jack to attempt to kiss him. But he didn't. Instead Jack pointed up and said, "Look at that moon. Isn't it beautiful?"  
Hiccup was confused. He didn't know how a moon could be beautiful. It was just a floating rock. But Jack corrected him._

_"It's not just a rock. The moon is a loyal companion. It never leaves. It's always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it's a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human. Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections."_

_Hiccup nearly choked on his own saliva when he heard that speech. "Tahereh Mafi?" Hiccup didn't expect Jack to know anything about literature. This generally surprised Hiccup._

_Jack nodded. I only read about one of his books but it was so inspiring. I never expected to be moved by something like the moon too. But once he put it like that I couldn't help but agree with him." Jack looked over at Hiccup who stared star struck at him. "You know I really like you right Hiccup?" Jack's hand moved dangerously close to Hiccup's._

"_I know." Hiccup answered. Jack's hand hovered over his own now._

"_And if I tried to kiss you. Would you let me?" Jack asked. Hiccup's face was now inches from his. If he wanted he could just crash their lips together. And he did._

Hiccup was pulled away from his flashback when Jack began shaking his shoulder. "I knew you'd love it."

Hiccup smiled and looked back down at the photo in his hands. After their first kiss Jack and Hiccup went on a large rollercoaster called the "back breaker." The picture was taken as Hiccup and Jack kissed as they were going down a long track straight down. When they stepped off to collect their pictures Jack bought a copy for Hiccup and kept the other with him all the time.

Hiccup wrapped his arms around Jack and embraced him in a hug and long lasting kiss. The door opened loudly and quickly as Toothless stepped in pissed off.

Toothless was not a normal looking guy. He resembled a band member from "Pierce The Veil" or "Sleeping With Sirens." His hair was pitch black and long. It fell over his face occasionally making him look almost animalistic. His leather jacket matched his torn jeans that he sported. People liked to call Toothless "emo." Toothless just called himself, "Toothless."

"What's been taking so long?" Toothless snapped at the couple. Hiccup blushed. Jack wasn't wearing a shirt and they were in each other's arms. Toothless rolled his eyes. "Sorry lovebirds but Hiccup and I have plans." Toothless gripped Hiccup's arm and began yanking him towards the door.

"Wait, Hiccup! Put on the necklace ok?" Jack ran after Hiccup who was still being dragged to Toothless car. "Hiccup!" Jack ran towards the window where Hiccup sat. Toothless simply growled and kept quiet. Hiccup smiled.

"I promise. In fact I'll put it on right now." Hiccup unfastened the lock on the necklace and slipped it on. It hung rather low but still fit around his neck. Jack thought Hiccup looked even more beautiful with the golden chain and locket. Jack leaned in for a kiss that Hiccup joined into.

"C'mon lovebirds." Toothless growled impatiently. Hiccup casted him a glare before returning back to Jack.

"I'll be back soon. Toothless and I are just going to hang around and come straight home." Hiccup could see the nervousness on Jack's face. Hiccup was new to the town and didn't know anyone there. He was lucky if he could even find where the parking lot was. Toothless lived in town for about three years. Which is why Hiccup enjoyed every summer he had. Every summer Hiccup came to visit his best friend and boyfriend. Every summer he went drinking with Toothless, and every summer he spent time with Jack, simply enjoying the feeling of being wrapped in his arms.

"Ok but before you go I just wanted to say-" Jack began before Toothless interrupted.

"Sorry man but the meters running. We gotta go. Bye!" Toothless began to drive even as Jack ran alongside trying to call out to Hiccup.

"Hiccup I just wanted to say I-" Jack fell face first into the dirt below his feet. Hiccup waved out the window as the car disappeared into the forest where the entrance to town was.

"Love you." Jack whispered.

**XXX**

The car was going too fast for Rapunzel. She tried to open the window to barf but Gothel smacked her hand.

"If you throw up than you'll never get over your car sickness." Gothel stated as she inspected her nails. Rapunzel clenched her teeth as the barf ran back down her throat. It sat in her stomach like a rock. Her entire face grew a sickly green.

"I don't have car sickness. You're all just going to damn fast!" Rapunzel crossed her arms and closed her eyes, trying to regulate her breathing. Gothel rolled her eyes.

"You really are a selfish girl. I try my best to give you a good life-"

"A good life mom? You guys drag me all over the country just so you can steal things and hurt people! I never asked for this!" Rapunzel was seething with rage. She only ever lashed out at her mother when she was seriously enraged. This was one of those times.

Gothel was perturbed by her daughter's stubbornness. Everyone else in the group dealt with their lifestyles. They even _liked_it. But Rapunzel hated it. She hated having to wash blood off her clothes or dig holes to be filled with bodies. She hated every second of her life.

"Gothel your daughters a cunt. Why don't you let her kill something for once? Maybe it will lighten her up." Greedler stated as he rolled hundred dollar bills between his fingertips. A sick smile was plastered on his ugly face.

Gothel raised a brow at the idea. It did seem logical. If Rapunzel got a taste of blood for herself, then maybe she'd grow used to the whole ordeal. Or even grow to like it. "For once I agree with you Greedy." Gothel cupped Rapunzel's face in her hands. "Sweetheart, trust me. Once we arrive at this little town, you'll thank me."

Rapunzel scowled at Greedler. What had he gotten her into?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This took forever to write! And I'm still not happy with it. Oh well, enjoy! R/R!**

"_Keep on high alert. Eight dangerous criminal's have-"_ Toothless shut off the radio. He never cared about news updates or disasters around him. Most of them were overblown anyways. It was his mother who even left the newspaper in the backseat hoping Toothless would try to be updated. Toothless made a mental note to toss the paper once he got to town. But he had to be sure to check the weather. He had heard something about a storm. Probably nothing.

Hiccup glared at Toothless as he adjusted his seatbelt. Toothless kept his eyes on the road to advert Hiccup's glare. He knew that Hiccup was pissed and he did feel slightly guilty for it. But he couldn't spend another minute watching Hiccup and Jack make goo-goo eyes at each other like a newlywed couple.

"Hiccup I-"

"Why do you hate him so much?" Hiccup interrupted. Hiccup stared daggers at Toothless. His lips thinned and his face was red. Toothless was Hiccup's best friend. Despite all the times Jack had warned Hiccup about his strange behavior he never listened. Frankly Hiccup didn't want to listen. He wanted to believe that the two most important people in the world to him could get along without ripping each other's throats out like ravenous cannibals.

Hiccup flipped a thread of hair away from his face. The ride ahead of them was a long one. It took about 3 hours to get to town by foot and one by car and even then the bar was on the other side of town. Toothless insisted they go some place closer but Hiccup was in a partying mood. Jack was busy with work all day so Hiccup wouldn't have much time to spend with him anyways. So until then Hiccup and Toothless were forced to work out the situation.

Toothless tightened his grip on the wheel till he believed it would shatter to pieces in his hands. "I just don't want…." Toothless paused to correct himself. "I just don't think Jack is right for you." Toothless locked Hiccup's gaze for a few brief moments. Toothless swore he could practically reach out and feel the awkwardness in the air. Hiccup could too.

Hiccup let out a long sigh. "I didn't like him at first either Toothless. But I grew to like him. Hell, I _love him _Toothless. I never told him but I do. He means everything to me." Hiccup fingered the locket dreamily. It was like he saw it as some kind of proposal. As if that would ever happen. Toothless believed that once Jack got what he wanted, he'd kick Hiccup to the curb leaving him to pick up the pieces. Toothless was surprised Jack had stuck around as long as he has.

"I know you love him Hic. I'm just not sure if the feeling mutual." Toothless blurted out the last bit of the sentence like he was spitting out something disgusting he had bitten into. Hiccup scowled.

Hiccup tried to look out the window for comfort but there was none. All Hiccup could saw were trees as far as the eye could see. Hiccup liked the open space, but now he felt trapped. He felt like invisible walls were going to cave in on him and crush him to pieces like something from Saw. He turned back to Toothless with hatred. He hated that his friend couldn't accept his relationship without even trying.

"Turn around Toothless. I'm not going if you won't accept Jack." Hiccup reached for the wheel but Toothless shoved him rather hard. Hiccup crossed his arms like a child. His face grew redder as the time passed. Toothless began to wonder whether he should turn around. Obviously Hiccup needed space, but he'd get too much without Jack home. Toothless decided the best idea was to keep going and settle things along the way.

"Hiccup, I'm sorry okay? Jack seems like a good guy but I just don't trust him." Toothless had finally let it out. It was true. Toothless didn't trust a word that Jack ushered. Everything he did or said seemed like an act in Toothless mind. He actually felt good that he had confided that in Hiccup.

Hiccup it out a low groan of irritancy. Hiccup wanted nothing but for everyone to get along. Jack had no problem with that. Hiccup wondered why Toothless did.

"Why don't you trust him?" Jack given you no reason not to." Hiccup looked out the window not facing Toothless. Hiccup didn't want to look his best friend in the eye. He felt betrayed.

"Because I don't want to share you with anyone else." Toothless admitted. He hung his head low on the steering wheel. His shoulders heaved as he let out a brief and tearless sob.

"What do you mean- Toothless! Look out!" Hiccup grabbed the wheel in a poor attempt to advert the car away from an approaching tree. The crash came anyways.

**XXX**

Rapunzel sat around the fireplace as the gang worked the campsite around them. Gothel and Rapunzel would be sleeping in the van with Pitch as well, while Oncie, Greedler, and the Stabbington brothers would stay outside in homemade tents. The campfire was Rapunzel's doing. None of them had portable ovens. Rapunzel wasn't even sure if those existed. She was on the road too much to know a lot about the world around her. She didn't know the names of any celebrities and had no favorite movies. She was like a traveling circus that never stuck around long enough to know what street she was on.

"Sweetheart could you please wash the clothes? My dress smells like Pitch's breath." Gothel teased. Pitch rolled his eyes and shoved her playfully. Rapunzel curled the lip at the sight of his hands tracing every inch of her mother like he owned her. Rapunzel despised Pitch. More than she hated the others in the group. She hated the way he walked and she hated the way he looked at her like some kind of item on display.  
"Rapunzel did you hear me?" Gothel demanded. Rapunzel sighed and brushed back her long blonde hair. She turned around to face her mother.

"Yes mother I heard you. I'll wash the clothes now." Rapunzel responded almost robotically. She felt like a robot. A robot programmed for traveling. Take it somewhere, give it some time to analyze, it grows comfortable, take it someplace else, and repeat process. If Rapunzel cut open her stomach she would expect to see nothing but wires and a malfunctioning heart ready to give out. She'd rip it out and they'd simply just replace it with a brand new one. One that she'd be forced to carry around until it gives out like the last one. Then repeat process.

Gothel thinned her lips. "Pitch could you have a word with her? I think Rapunzel's having an attitude." That's what Gothel was famous for. Taking the slightest pitch in someone's voice and turning around to seem offensive. Rapunzel had suffered many belt lashings just from responding too soon or too loud.

Pitch sat beside Rapunzel with a twisted smile. His golden eyes locked hers. "Now flower," That was Rapunzel's nickname, "flower." Rapunzel wished she was an actual flower. So even if they ripped her out of the ground by the roots, she'd still wither away and die eventually. She would finally be free.

"What is it Pitch?" She asked with intended attitude. Rapunzel looked over for her mother's help but Gothel was too busy smoking a cigarette inside the car. Rapunzel hated the bitter smell of smoke and regretted having to sleep in there with her later. Gothel had promised to quit. Gothel had promised a lot of things.

Pitch smiled wickedly. "Now, now, flower, don't you think you should be a little nicer? Your mother and I try to make sure you stay happy-"

"If you want me to be happy then stop killing everyone that looks at you weird." Rapunzel spat. This time Pitch wasn't going to put up with her mouth. He gripped her tightly by her cheeks and squeezed hard. Rapunzel wiggled her face to free herself of his iron grasp. "S-Stop!" She forced out.

Pitch released her with a shove. Rapunzel held out her hands to avoid falling face first into the dirt. Pitch clenched his jaw and tried to calm himself down. Gothel and the others were still preoccupied.

"You have a smart mouth, you know that?" Pitch was at his wits end with the stubborn girl. He tried to get on her good side but the only problem was that he himself had no good side. "You really are a sweet girl, you just don't show it." Pitch said changing his whole tone. Rapunzel looked at him nervously through the corner of her eye. Gothel was still busy with her cigarette, the Stabbington brothers were sleeping despite it still being day out, Greedie and Oncie were pitching up their tents, and Flynn was in the driver's seat passed out. Rapunzel was basically on her own.

"Maybe if you guys just tried to NOT get arrested than I could live a normal life, meet some people…"

"Like boys?" Asked Pitch with dominance in his cold voice. Rapunzel looked down to see his hand resting on her knee. She pulled back her leg and turned away, she didn't want to see Pitch's eyes tracing her like a piece of property.

"Please Pitch." She begged. She could feel the tears trailing down her face. Pitch reached out and gripped her face with both hands. She struggled at first but eventually gave in.

"Don't cry flower. You know I love you." Pitch kissed her forehead even as she shuddered with revulsion. Pitch used his thumb to wipe away her tears.

"Pitch?" called Gothel. Pitch immediately pulled back his hands like Rapunzel had burned them. When in truth he didn't want to get caught in the act.

"Y-Yes dear?" Pitch stuttered as he stood up and adjusted himself. Rapunzel stood up and scowled at Pitch.

"Fucking pig." She muttered before stomping over to where Gothel had assorted the clothing needed washing.

The whole gang was miles away from the nearest town. They had begun camp early so they could collect themselves first thing in the morning and head off to their next location. Rapunzel was slightly glad. They had almost hit several trees from going off the road to go deep into the woods where their car would be hard to find. Rapunzel hated the woods. It was too full. She never knew whether the sound outside her tent would be a wild animal, or worse, Pitch.

Rapunzel remembered seeing a lake nearby. Hopefully there were no other campers there. Rapunzel couldn't stand to see any more innocent blood splattered. Rapunzel gripped the duffel bag and ventured into the woods.

**XXX**

Hiccup's head rested on the now slowly deflating airbag. Hiccup could taste the blood in the corner of his mouth. His head throbbed even though he had been saved from fatal injuries by the airbag. The wind had been knocked out of him; he coughed and gasped for air to refill his lungs. But as he did he could taste the copper blood spilling from the corners of his lips, un-doubtfully staining his shirt.

"T-Toothless?" Hiccup choked out. Toothless rested on the wheel of the car. Blood dripped from his head and onto his face like a painting. He looked up at Hiccup with pain stricken eyes. "Fuck. Are you ok?" Every word he spoke sounded pained.

Toothless opened his mouth and spit something onto the floor, a tooth. Hiccup couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Toothless joined in. "Guess I really am Toothless." He smiled revealing that several other teeth had been knocked out from the collision.

"I-I think…I-I'm ok…. Are you?" Hiccup choked out. His breathing had begun to regularize but he still gasped and choked as the blood continued to pour. Hiccup let out a loud cough sending blood splattering over the cracked window.

Hiccup lifted himself out of the seat and out the door. His body collapsed onto the ground like he was boneless. With sore hands he lifted himself off of the ground, using the door as a support. Hiccup had managed not to break anything but he felt sore all over. He knew he was bleeding and he knew that he was going to end up with many bruises. But right now he didn't care. But now Hiccup just wanted to get to the nearest hospital. Hopefully Toothless was alright.

The front of the car was smashed and caved in on itself. The rest of the car was scraped and busted with dents. Hiccup knew that Toothless would miss his beloved car, but that didn't seem too important now.

Hiccup could feel a slight pressure in his ankle when he stepped down, but it was bearable. Toothless walked with a limp as well. It was a miracle they had gotten out with the minimal amount of damage they had.

"T-Toothless. Where's your phone?"

"Fuck." Toothless cried out. Toothless had left his cell phone at home. He was in such a rush to get there that he had completely forgotten.

"You forgot it! Thor almighty Toothless!" Hiccup threw his hands up in frustration. The day had taken a horrible turn for the worse and they didn't have a phone. Hiccup was at his wits end before he exploded like a bomb in a James Bond film.

"How was I supposed to know something like this would happen?! Alright," Toothless calmed himself down and pushed away the hair in his face revealing more blood. "Let's just try and find some help." He reached out for Hiccup who flinched away from his touch like it burned him.

Hiccup looked around for the road. It was out of sight. The car had made many twists and turns before finally came crashing into a tree. They were lucky a branch didn't poke through the window and stab them through the eye. Hiccup and Toothless were surrounded by trees. There was no sound around them except for a bird chirping in the distance and a squirrel climbing up a tree.

"Maybe if we call for help-"

Hiccup and Toothless were silenced by a rustling in the distance, followed by a twig snapping. A small figure approached them. Hiccup held his breath for fear it was a possible wolf or bear. Instead a young girl stepped through the brush, Rapunzel.

"Hello?" called Rapunzel. Hiccup let out a sigh of relief. Toothless relaxed.

Rapunzel had spotted the approaching figures from afar. She knew that they needed help from their bloody clothes and bruised faces. She had high hopes that the boys were unharmed.

"Jesus Christ, are you alright?" She asked making her way towards the boys, dropping her bag on the way. Hiccup fell to his knees and made a silent prayer. It seemed ridiculous but Hiccup was grateful that he wasn't alone.

Toothless flagged the girl over. "Thank you so much. You see, we just got into an accident and-" Toothless stopped himself when Rapunzel began inspecting the car. She looked over it like she expected them to use it to drive off. "What are you doing?" Hiccup asked. Toothless stood silent. He was just as confused as Hiccup was. Toothless held out a hand and assisted Hiccup to his feet.

"Is there any way you guys can make it back on your own?" Rapunzel knew how this would go down. If the others found them….things wouldn't be pretty. She was sure of it.

"B-But we can't. Why can't _you_ help us? We really need help. My boyfriend will worry." Hiccup blurted. He was terrified. Not for himself, but for Jack. Jack was already worried about Hiccup going off into town with Toothless, if he didn't call Jack then he would have a heart attack.

Rapunzel rubbed at her arms nervously. She knew the boys were suspicious, and they had the right to be. "Uh, I'm sorry but I can't help you."

Toothless and Hiccup were baffled. Their only hope for getting back was lost because Rapunzel refused to help them. _Why?_ Wondered Hiccup. Toothless knees shook like Jell-O. His remaining teeth rattled like bones. He was going into a panic. The woods around him suddenly appeared dangerous and large. He felt small and meek. He hated the feeling.

Hiccup limped towards the girl. "You don't understand."

"No you don't understand." Rapunzel snapped. "It's too dangerous. Find your own way back. I can't help you. I want to but I can't. Don't you get it?!" Rapunzel herself was surprised by how cruel her words sounded. But Toothless and Hiccup needed to know the danger before them. She couldn't let them find the camp or else…..

"Rapunzel!" cried a voice far off in the distance. Toothless ears perked at the sound.

"Help! Somebody help us!" Toothless cried as he ran towards the sound with his arms waving like a madman. Hiccup joined him with equal desperation.

"No!" Rapunzel shouted trying to go after the boys. But they were too fast. Rapunzel's long hair caught in a tree branch. She struggled while watching with fearful eyes as Hiccup and Toothless approached the camp.

**XXX**

"Do you hear that?" asked Onceler. Greedler ignored his fretful brother and withdrew his blade. Onceler watched with disgust as his brother began to pick his fingernails with the knife.

The echoing voice came again. "Help!" Onceler knew he wasn't crazy. The sounds were real. Even Greedler had picked up something.

"Greedie?" asked Onceler. Greedler looked up annoyed with his brother's stubbornness.

"What is it bro?" He asked with little interest in his tone.

"Look." Onceler pointed towards the distance where three figures quickly came towards them.

"Rapunzel?" Greedler made out the thin figure of the scrawny girl. But two more figures appeared right in front of her.

"And two other guys." Onceler replied.

Greedler licked his lips. "This ought to be fun."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I fixed the mistake in my later chapters but I just wanted to make this clear. Jack and Hiccup are staying at a lake house. Not a cabin. Sorry if I put that somewhere by accident. Oh well. Anyways, enjoy the chapter and R/R!**

Jack had no plans to be at work tonight. Of course Hiccup thought that. But it wasn't true. There were a lot of things Hiccup didn't know.

Jack grabbed the phone off of the table and plopped down onto the couch. He felt warm although he wasn't entirely dressed. The whole house had air conditioning that neither Jack nor Hiccup planned to use. They liked the warm breeze that blew through the home. If it ever got too hot they simply left the door open. They were old fashioned that way.

Jack dialed the number he was looking for and relaxed onto the couch. The nice plush cushions supported his back and neck like it was designed for him.

The phone rang four times before there was an answer. "Hello?" answered the familiar Russian voice.

"Sup North. How's it going?" Jack worked for North, but that didn't mean they couldn't be friends. If anything Jack looked up to North like a father. His own father had died shortly after Jack was born, but it wasn't so bad. How can you miss someone you barely remmember?

"Jack Frost! Nice to hear from you! Why is it you are calling me from home and not talking to me at work?" The bluntness of the last sentence made Jack sure that he needed to word his next sentence perfectly if he wanted to keep his job.

"Well the thing is…." Jack slowly drifted off. He heard a loud rustle on the other line before another familiar voice spoke,

"Jack, get your lazy bum here now." Bunnymund sounded pissed. Jack couldn't blame him. But he honestly couldn't go to work if he wanted to. And he told them exactly that. "What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" Bunny demanded. Jack let out a cry of frustration.

"Just let me explain ok?" Jack rubbed at his sleepy eyes. Even though he and Hiccup were close to reliving the earlier night, Jack still had the energy of a diabetic snail. "Put me on speaker phone."

There was another loud rustle. "Hello!" boomed North. Jack pulled the phone away from his ear slightly. "Jack!"

"I-I'm here North. Now can I explain?" Jack requested. North answered yes and let Jack finish. "Hiccup went out with his friend Toothless and my car's low on gas so even if I wanted to come to work I couldn't."

In truth the car had a decent amount of gas. And Jack really did like his job. Working at the toy shop was a really great way for Jack to interact with children. It was the one thing he did right. But tonight he had other plans.

North was frustrated. Jack was an excellent worker who specialized in toy building and in working with the children. North even considered opening a daycare in the store for parents to drop off their children. Today however North wondered why Jack chose not to come in.

"You are lying Jack Frost. What do you really have planned today? Does it involve that boy Hiccup?"

Although North couldn't see him, Jack still hid his blush. "Well I kind of wanted to plan something special for him." Jack admitted. The plans for today were running wild through his head desperate to be made a reality.

North stroked his beard. Bunny seemed frustrated with Jack's antics. Although Jack came into work he was always late, and always had some harebrained excuse. Something like: "My hair hurts," "My sister almost fell through the ice," "I got tossed into a sack and got sucked through a magic portal," always something.

North never really scolded the boy. Jack was eighteen with his whole life ahead of him. Kids will make mistakes. So North looked past the things Jack did wrong and focused on the things he did right.

"And what might that be?" Bunny asked with an attitude in his voice. North silently shushed him. North never appreciated Bunny's attitude, but he easily overlooked it.

Jack ran nervous fingers through his hair. He looked around as if he was afraid Hiccup would be behind him, with that goofy grin of his, proud of himself for discovering Jack's dirty little secret. Jack leaned in close to tell everyone the news.

"You know how Hiccup's leaving for college at the end of the summer?" Jack whispered. Even though he knew Hiccup was long gone he couldn't help but feel on edge.

North did recall Hiccup mentioning his acceptance into Corona university. It was a big name college for architecture and lesser subjects. It was in a very large city. North had visited it many times in discussing the opening of several toy shops there under his name.

"I do. And?"

Jack took a deep breath before announcing, "I was accepted." He got onto his knees and smiled excitedly. He could feel his arms shaking with joy.

"What do you mean Jack?"

"I applied and they accepted me! I'm going to surprise Hiccup tonight!"

North was actually VERY proud of Jack. Ever since Jack moved out of his home he'd been having trouble finding suitable jobs and was rejected by many colleges. That is until North offered him a job. But this brought up another issue.

"But Jack, if you leave for Corona, how will you work here?"

Bunny's eyes flashed over to North. Jack was quitting? Did this mean he no longer had to deal with the irresponsible bugger? He felt glad and slightly guilty for being so glad.

"I've got to go North. If I don't then I'll _never _get to see Hiccup. I barely get to see him as is. He lives in Berk and I live in Burgess. I only get to see him when he flies out to see me in the summer." Jack paused. He had really let out some steam of North. He felt bad for taking out his frustration on the man who had done so much for him. "Look North, I really love my job. But I love Hiccup more. And who knows? Maybe I'll grow to like architecture. Putting things together doesn't sound so hard."

North sighed. He was really going to miss the spirited teenager. But Jack had dreams to fulfill. And North had plenty of workers to help him with the shop. One less worker wasn't going to shut him out of business.

"Alright Jack." North smiled even though Jack couldn't see him. "Take the day off to tell Hiccup the good news. Have fun."

"Thanks North. And tell Tooth, Baby, Sandy, and the kangaroo that I said hi."

Jack hung up and threw his fist in the air. "Alright!"

North smiled and set the phone down. "I see some real potential for those two." North went off to busy himself with the toys.

Bunny stared at the phone with a raised eyebrow. "What did he call me?"

**XXX**

Hiccup felt relief when the campsite before him became closer. Toothless was equally excited. They weren't sure why Rapunzel hadn't wanted them to be rescued, but that didn't matter, they had help.

"Please help!" Hiccup cried. A young man approached Hiccup. Hiccup tensed with nervousness. This man, Greedler, seemed very creepy. He smiled at them flashing a set of yellow teeth.

"What seems to be the problem?" He asked. His face was close to Hiccup's. Too close for comfort.

Gothel had looked over to witness the two boys approaching the camp. She shook Flynn roughly to wake him. Flynn let out an inhuman sound as he woke. Whenever Flynn woke it was like he was awakening from a sleep of a thousand years.

"What is it?" He asked. Flynn wondered whether they had been spotted or not. Gothel pointed over to Toothless and Hiccup.

"Those two boys came running over asking for help." She awaited Flynn's response. Flynn opened the glove compartment to reach for his gun. Gothel grabbed his wrist quickly. "Don't overreact. I think they might just be having some car troubles." Gothel looked over at Hiccup and Toothless. They both appeared rather bloody and disoriented. But they didn't seem like a threat. "But keep it with you anyways." Flynn cocked the gun and slipped it into his pocket.

Hiccup gulped nervously. Toothless didn't care about Greedler's strange behavior. He just wanted some help.

"Our car. We got into an accident. Could you help us get back to town?" Hiccup choked out. Toothless nodded in agreement. Greedler contemplated whether to help the boys or pull out is revolver. He'd have to discuss it with Gothel.

"Don't you touch those boys Greedie!" Mother snapped, reading his mind. Greedler rolled his eyes in response.

"Yes momma." He replied. Gothel shoved him aside and turned to the boys with a smile.

"Hello boys. It seems like you were in quite a nasty accident. Would you like us to assist you back to your car? Is there something there you had forgotten?" If Gothel had to do away with the boys, she sure as hell didn't want it to be at their campsite. Hiccup smiled with reassurance. To him Gothel appeared very nice and trustworthy.

"Thank you Miss. That would be great. I have some things in the car that I might need. Would you mind giving us a lift into town?" Hiccup pointed his thumb in a random direction.

Gothel stiffened at the last part. _Town? If they showed their faces…._

"Sure thing dear. It will be easy-peasy." Gothel clapped her hands together. "Pitch! George! Jeff! Greedie! Oncie! Flynn! Rapunzel! Let's get going! We need to help these nice young men."

"Rapunzel?" Hiccup asked curiously. _Rapunzel was with them? Is that why she didn't want to help us? What did being with these guys have anything to do with us?_

Toothless grew nervous when he saw all the approaching figures before him. Two pairs of twins stepped in front of them, one consisting of Greedler who Hiccup still didn't entirely trust.

Greedler stood beside his brother Onceler. Despite the wardrobe and cardio the twins looked identical. Onceler wore a long sleeved white shirt with a gray vest and gray pants to match. Atop his head he wore a gray fedora. He appeared weaker and scrawnier than his brother Greedler, who was a completely different story.

Greedler wore a green/lighter green tailcoat over his long sleeved black shirt and green tie. Atop his head he also wore a hat, but a green and black top hat that covered most of his short black hair. A long golden chain hung from his neck to his pants. Hiccup reflectively reached for his neck to grip the golden chain Jack had given him.

The other twins were much more built then the first pair of twins. They were exactly identical except for different scars and one wearing an eye patch. Even their wardrobe was almost identical. Again, the eye patch was the only real difference. Hiccup assumed they were George and Jeff.

The others in the group pretty much blended into the background. Flynn hung around the car and stared at them with cautious eyes, like he was unsure of whether or not they were trustworthy. The feeling was mutual.

But Hiccup's breath caught in his throat when the final man approached them. This man sent shivers down Toothless and Hiccup's spines. He was tall and pale however not scrawny like some of the others. He was well built and threatening. His golden eyes locked Hiccup's. Hiccup didn't even know people could have golden eyes. Whether or not they were contacts, they were still hard to look at. Hiccup looked away from the man's gaze.

"Are you sure Claudia?" Pitch asked Gothel. Gothel shoved him playfully.

"Darling, don't worry. I'm sure these boys are very trustworthy. And look at the poor things. They need help." Gothel motioned to the blood on Hiccup's clothes.

Pitch nodded. "I guess they can't be dangerous. Let's help assist them back to the car and see where it goes from there."

Hiccup tensed. _See how it goes from there?_

Rapunzel watched with horror as her family began to lead the boys back to their car. Rapunzel hid behind a rather thick tree to avoid being spotted. Hiccup seemed nervous while Toothless just seemed happy he was "rescued." Rapunzel tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Please don't hurt them." She begged in a whisper. Hiccup and Toothless seemed like good people. She would hate to see them hurt. Rapunzel decided the best option was to rejoin the group before they noticed she was gone.

**XXX**

Jack had everything planned. The chicken in the oven was cooking at the temperature he had read online. The flowers on the table were freshly picked and held in a glass vase filled with water. Now all he had to do was wait for Hiccup to return.

Jack briefly wondered if Hiccup would be later than planned, but Hiccup was never late. Hiccup was always on time for their private dinners. Hiccup always talked about how their dinners were the most fun he's ever had. Jack would playfully tease him saying that he hadn't even seen anything yet.

The seconds turned to minutes as Jack watched the clock repeatedly every five minutes.

"What's taking Hic so long?" Jack asked aloud. Hiccup was never late so why now of all times? "I bet Toothless is purposely making him late." Jack scowled.

Jack never understood why Toothless hated him so much. Was it jealousy? Or was it Jack's fault? Whatever it was, Jack had no idea.

While he waited Jack lit two long candles and placed them on opposite ends of the table. Jack waited patiently with his arms folded over his chest.

"C'mon Hic." Jack urged himself to stay calm. But the what if's came anyways.

What if Hiccup was hurt?  
What if Hiccup was with someone else?  
What if that person was Toothless?

Jack gripped his head to block out the what if's that clouded his thoughts and hijacked his brain.

_I'll call him later._ Jack thought to himself. With a heavy heart, Jack blew out the candles and went upstairs to bed.

**XXX**

Rapunzel managed to sneak up to the group without making a ruckus. Her footsteps were blocked out by the others. She watched Hiccup and Toothless carefully. In the distance she could spot their car.

"My, what a disaster." Gothel commented on the cars condition. Toothless took the time to mourn his precious car.

"My baby." He whispered. Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"You can get another once we get back to town." Hiccup patted the fretful Toothless on the back. "You can stay with me and Jack till they fix her up."

Gothel turned around curiously. "Who's Jack?"

Hiccup blushed while Toothless mimicked induced vomiting. "He's my boyfriend."

Gothel smirked. "How cute. You never see any fags so confident like you." Gothel shared a laugh with Pitch as they inspected the damage of the car.

Hiccup stood flustered. "What did you just-" Toothless stopped him. Hiccup decided to leave it be until they got back to town. Hiccup just hadn't expected someone like Gothel to say something so blunt and cruel.

Flynn searched through the glove compartments for cash or jewelry. Hiccup and toothless were none the wiser to his doing. Flynn had high hopes that they could leave the boys be and move on.

Greedler motioned towards the trunk. "I think your trunks unlocked." Greedler pointed a gloved finger towards the car. "Should I pop it open?"

Toothless shrugged. "Why not? I might have a couple CD's in there worth salvaging." Toothless stepped beside Greedler as he opened the trunk.

Inside the trunk was nothing but boxes of Toothless college textbooks and the occasional CD. But most of them were cracked from the collision of the crash. Toothless sighed.

"Fuck." Toothless noticed something wedged between the seats. It un-doubtfully paper. Greedler noticed as well and yanked it out. Once he saw what it was, his shoulders slumped. "What is it?"

It was the newspaper Toothless mother had given to him. The one had little interest in so he tossed it in the back. Toothless looked over Greedler's shoulder to see the writing on the front page that Greedler was so consumed in. Immediately he back away quickly and almost frightened.

"What was it Toothless?" asked Hiccup.

The rest of the group had fallen silent. Greedler passed along the paper like hot potato and nodded towards the boys. Once the paper reached Gothel she frowned.

"It's a shame." She muttered. Hiccup stepped closer to Toothless with fear. Rapunzel let out a whimper. "Shut it." Gothel snapped.

"Please mother. Don't-" Gothel smacked her daughter hard across the face.

"I told you to shut up!" She howled at the cowering Rapunzel. Gothel took a deep breath before turning to the boys. "I'm really sorry boys. We really did want to help you." She took a step towards Hiccup. "You understand things just got very complicated right?" Gothel nodded towards Greedler. Before Hiccup could react Greedler reached out and gripped Hiccup tightly by the arms. Hiccup cried out in alarm.

"W-Wait what's going on?" Hiccup begged for answers they weren't giving him. Gothel tossed the paper at the ground in front of Hiccup's feet. Greedler bent him over to look.

Across the headline read: "**Eight dangerous criminals wanted for serial murders."** Below the line were the mug shots of everyone before Hiccup. The reality of the situation spread through him like a virus.

"We made the front page! That's what's going on!" Gothel lost her temper and pointed towards Flynn. "Rider! Get the other boy!"

Flynn gripped Toothless by his hair as he tried to bolt. Toothless cried out in pain and allowed Flynn to grip his arms. It was less painful.

Hiccup began to panic. "Look. This is none of our business. Please. We swear not to tell anyone!" Hiccup had heard those words countless times in horror films. But this was no horror film. This was real.

Gothel frowned. "This could have been so easy dear. But now that you've seen our faces things just aren't as simple as they could have been. I hope you can understand."

Hiccup struggled under Greedler's grasp. "P-Please we promise not to-" George, one of the Stabbington Brothers, reached out and slapped Hiccup hard across the face like Gothel had done to Rapunzel. Hiccup's cheek burned furiously. Tears streamed down his face like tiny rivers. Toothless again tried to escape Flynn's iron grasp to reach Hiccup.

"Don't hurt the poor boy yet George." Gothel snapped. "Keep them alive until we figure out what to do with them."

Hiccup could feel the sobs raking through his body. His knees buckled and his shoulders heaved. Everything was crashing down and he was in the middle of it all.

"Mother, please." Rapunzel yanked at her mother's dress desperately. "They won't tell anyone!"

Gothel gave her daughter an icy stare. "You be quiet young lady. Now get in the car." Gothel pointed a long finger at Flynn and Greedler. "Bring those boy's to the car. We're going on a little trip."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So much angst! Will poor Hiccup and Toothless make it out ok?**

Toothless responded the only way he knew how, by biting down hard onto Flynn's arm. His teeth ached from the earlier damages, but he that only made him sink his teeth further into the flesh of Flynn's arm. Flynn cried out in shock and alarm and released Toothless, who wasted no time making a run for it. His hair flew back like a parachute as he bolted towards the woods, waving his arms about, screaming for help like a mad man.

Gothel was agitated with her son's negligence to restrain Toothless. "Bring him back!" She snarled, releasing a knife strapped to her thigh and pointing it towards Hiccup. Stress wrinkles were clearly visible on her forehead. She forced a smug smile since she had been able to hold onto at least one of the boys. Hiccup shuddered when the cold metal of the blade rested below his chin, aimed at his neck.

Flynn gripped his hand tightly before shaking it off and running after the fleeing boy. His hair flew into his face like the wind was trying to sabotage him. Toothless continued to scream like a banshee, tree branches scraped his arms and legs like whips. However, he continued to run even with his slight limp.

Hiccup dug his heels into the ground as Greedler attempted to drag him to the camp where the car was. He let out a mixture of sobs and chocked screams that only made it half way out of his tight throat. His cheeks burned like a fireplace. He struggled against the arms that held him like chains. Greedler tried to keep his hold as the thrashing boy managed to free his left arm. Hiccup reached out to Rapunzel.

"Please!" Hiccup cried out in pain and fear, Greedler had begun to dig his nails into the boy's arms leaving crescent shaped pink marks. Rapunzel looked up at him with tear struck eyes. She had tried to warn them but they didn't listen. There was no way for her to help him.

Hiccup's struggle only delayed his fate. Greedler's grip tightened like a rope. Hiccup let out a cry when Greedler twisted his arm like a dolls till it burned. Hiccup saw flashes of white clouding his vision. His cries were silenced by Greedler holding a gloved hand over his mouth. Hiccup opened his mouth to bite down. That is until Greedler leaned in close till Hiccup could feel his hot sticky breath against his neck, and whispered:

"Shut it or else I'll shoot your little friend." His voice was gruff and dominant.

Hiccup immediately silenced. Toothless bolted for the trees but Flynn has close behind running like a lion racing after an antelope. Toothless feared looking back, worried that if he did he would slip on the tiniest branch and fall, allowing Flynn the chance to catch up. And even catch _him_. Toothless's chest heaved as he ferociously tried to make his way towards the road, even though he didn't know where it was. Toothless could hear Flynn struggling to keep up with him. And Toothless wanted it to stay that way. If he could just get close enough to some kind of campsite…

"Toothless!" Hiccup screamed. His voice was desperate and sorrowful. Toothless stood paralyzed with shock when a gunshot went off.

**XXX**

Jack was at his wits end. Hiccup still wasn't back yet, the chicken in the oven had overcooked till it was nothing but ashes and bones, like something you'd see if you opened the wrong door at a crematorium, the flowers had somehow begun to wilt despite their freshness, and the clouds in the sky began to turn gray and black like a storm was approaching. Jack was running out of excuses to tell himself. So he decided to call Hiccup.

**XXX**

Greedler held the gun to Hiccup's head till he was sure it would leave some sort of bruise. Toothless slowly turned around to see the fear struck face of his best friend in need. Greedler had fired a warning shot to stop Toothless from escaping. Greedler could tell how much Hiccup meant to Toothless. Toothless watched over Hiccup like a brother. Hiccup whimpered as Greedler pushed the gun harder onto the side of his head, just waiting for Toothless to make a move. Hiccup tried to struggle and reach out a hand to warn his friend, to tell Toothless to forget about him and make a run for it. Hiccup had only called him because he was terrified Greedler would use the gun once he pulled it from its holder.

"Don't hurt him. Please." Toothless begged. Greedler smiled a twisted and sick yellow smile like his earlier one. Hiccup whimpered when Toothless took a cautious step towards the gang. His hands were raised defensively in the air. His breathing was quickly paced and heavy; it took Hiccup moments to realize Toothless was crying. "Please." Toothless begged again between pitiful sobs.

Greedler pointed the gun towards Toothless's heart. He then cocked the pistol and fired. The shot had missed Toothless and instead graze past his shoulder. Greedler cackled like a crow. "You really thought I was going to shoot you?" He gave Hiccup a hard knock on the head with the gun. Not hard enough to knock him out cold, but hard enough to resume the reduced throbbing in Hiccup's skull.

"Jesus Christ, Greedie just give me the gun." Onceler demanded. He was fed up with his brother's irresponsible antics. If the gun had shot Toothless correctly then Gothel would have a shit-fit. She was already fuming from Flynn having let Toothless get away.

Pitch watched from afar. He hadn't tried to go after Toothless when he ran. Pitch knew that Toothless wouldn't dare leave his precious friend in their hands. Pitch eyed the trembling boy in Greedler's arms. His breathing grew heavy when he thought about all the things he could do to Hiccup if Gothel let him. Hiccup's scrawny posture and body made Pitch want to lick his lips with lust. Toothless was by far not his type. The boy looked like a character from "The Nightmare Before Christmas."

Toothless backed away but was cornered by the Stabbington Brothers who gripped him by both arms. Toothless whimpered even as Hiccup again tried to free himself to reach his best friend. Greedie gave the boy a shake that would give an infant brain damage. Hiccup could taste the vomit in the back of his throat rising and falling like the sun. It made his face green and sickly.

"Don't even think about it Oncie. Give me the gun. I can't seem to trust any of you to get a job done right." Gothel held out her palm for Greedie to hand over the weapon. He was hesitant but after a few moments of silently cursing he laid the gun into her hand. Gothel handed the pistol to one of the Stabbington brothers.

Hiccup continued to sob beneath Greedler's gloved hand. It tasted like leather and left a sick taste in Hiccup's mouth. Snot dripped from his nose and onto Greedie's glove as well. Greedler looked down in disgust at the mixture of snot, blood, and tears spilling onto his favorite glove.

"Disgusting." He muttered. Gothel pouted her lip teasingly.

"The poor dear has made quite a mess of herself." Gothel took out a handkerchief and began to wipe away the sickly fluids away from Hiccup's face. Hiccup cringed away from her like a scared animal. Gothel could see this and it gave her a secret pleasure to see someone so terrified of her that she had power over them entirely. "Is that better dear?" She asked with a twisted smile. She was like Two-Face without the deformity, just two different people in one body. "Sweetheart, take away your hand." She instructed Greedler.

"Yes mama." Greedie obeyed. Careful not to release the boy, Greedie slip down his hand to take hold of the boy's shoulder. Hiccup attempted and failed to wriggle free. "What should we do with them?" Greedler sounded almost excited. Hiccup fought back the urge to bite down on his hand like Toothless had done with Flynn.

Gothel used the tip of her blade to lift Hiccup's chin to face her. Gothel smiled warmly but her eyes were dark and cruel. Hiccup was unsure whether to relax or prepare himself for the worst. Gothel contemplated what to do with the boys. They knew too much to be let off so easily, but killing them would be messy and leave tracks. Of course they had murdered countless others before. But those were all men. These boys were practically kids. Gothel reminded herself that although they were young, they wouldn't hesitate to rat them out the first chance they got.

"Get the rope from the car. We're going to bond them till I can think of a plan."

There was a loud blast of music coming from the back of the boy's car. It sounded like the song, "Colorblind" by "Counting Crows." Gothel tensed for fear someone had spotted them or something.  
"I'll check it out." She assured her sons and partners. While she went to inspect the van Pitch walked up to the cowering Hiccup.

"Why are you so afraid?" He wiped a hair away from Hiccup's messy face. Rapunzel glared at Pitch. He was doing to Hiccup what he had done to her countless times. Hiccup looked up at Pitch confused. _Who were these sick people? Why are they doing this to us!?_ Pitch smiled down at Hiccup like he was a piece of livestock for sale. Greedler exchanged a sickening glance with Pitch. It was like they both had the same twisted idea for Toothless and Jack.

Greedler gripped Hiccup by his face and squeezed tightly, mashing his cheeks together and pushing out his lips like a fish. Greedler turned Hiccup's face upwards to Pitch. "I don't know Pitch. But isn't he a cute little thing?" Greedler gave Hiccup another shake for emphasis. Pitch grinned, flashing a pair of white and sharp teeth. Hiccup wondered what could have possibly happened to Pitch to cause his teeth to look that way. Frankly he didn't want to know.

"Don't touch that boy yet you two." Gothel held something in her hand; Hiccup's cell phone.

Toothless glared at Hiccup with eyes like daggers. "You had your phone the whole time!" It wasn't as much a question as it was an accusation. Hiccup was just as surprised as Toothless.

"I had no idea! If you hadn't dragged me out of the house so quickly I-" Hiccup went silent when Mother Gothel threw the phone to the floor and raised her foot to smash it. Hiccup's last chance for survival was leaving him. "No!" He screamed in rage/desperation. He threw his leg up and watched in relief as Greedler sank to his knees, grabbing his crotch that Hiccup had struck. With the new found freedom Hiccup dove for the phone and fell to the ground with a loud _thump._

"Get him!" Everyone called to each other at once. Toothless tried but could not escape the clutches of the two brothers. He watched in horror as the others ganged up on Hiccup. His frail body was hidden by the mass of other bodies surrounding him like a cult.

Hiccup held the phone with all his strength and might. Gothel proceeded to stomp hardly on Hiccup's chest. The phone continued to ring as Hiccup gasped for breath.

_"I am colorblind." _The phone played. The lullaby like melody was drowned out by the sound of Hiccup coughing up blood. It dripped over his chin and created pools onto the ground below him.

Pitch gripped the boy's wrist to try to pry away the cell phone. Hiccup responded by biting down hard on Pitch's wrist. Pitch let out a muffled cry before slamming his fist hard down onto Hiccup's skull.

"_Coffee black and egg white."_

There was a bright flash. Before he knew it Hiccup was kicked in the jaw at full force by someone's foot. He couldn't quite see who the foot belonged to since another came at him, this time down hard on his gut. The need for oxygen became vital for Hiccup to stay conscious.

"_Pull me out from inside."_

"Help!" Toothless cried out. He hoped someone would hear his cries and come to their recue. Toothless pictured it would be someone on a horse wearing white and holding a shotgun. They'd come to their rescue and then they'd ride off into the sunset to have adventures, like they did in storybooks and folktales. But that wasn't happening. Toothless and Hiccup were on their own.

"_I am taffy stuck and tongue tied."_

"Please don't hurt him."

Hiccup's eyes looked around for something to protect him. All he could see were the faces of his captors in his as they tried to pry the phone away from his tight un-lifting fingers.

Hiccup then saw something that would probably save his life. A gun slipped into Gothel's pocket.

**XXX**

Jack sat on the couch awaiting the answer that would never come. Eventually he heard Hiccup's familiar voice.

"_Hi this is Hiccup-"_

"_And Jack!"_ Jack heard himself call from the background. Jack had been sent to voicemail.

"_Jack you're ruining my voicemail. Shut up!"_ Hiccup scorned his mischievous boyfriend.

"_Sorry but your voicemail idea was boring. I was just trying to spice it up a little."_ Jack remembered how Hiccup had countless times shoved Jack away from the phone for "ruining" the message. Jack loved how seriously Hiccup took things sometimes. It made it even more fun to mess with them.

"_Alright, whatever. This is Hiccup like I was saying before I was rudely interrupted"_ Hiccup had glared at Jack to make sure he didn't mess up his second try. Jack just put on his innocent smirk and allowed Hiccup to finish halfway. _"If you're hearing this then you know two things. One, I'm not at the phone right now. And two, my boyfriend is an egghead."_

Jack laughed from the other end of the phone. Jack remembered how afterwards they had wrestled the phone away from each other till they eventually gave up and rested in each other's arms until Hiccup's dad came home and kicked Jack out. Hiccup had such a tight grip on the phone that Jack knew he'd never win the fight.

Jack removed the phone away from his ears. Tears were making their way to the lining of Jack's eyes. They desperately wanted to be freed and spill down Jack's face. But he wouldn't let them. He wouldn't stand the idea of crying over Hiccup for being just a little while late. But how long had it been? Minutes? Hours? Jack couldn't remember when Hiccup had even left. They were so wrapped up in each other that they hadn't paid attention to the clock.

"Hey Hiccup it's just me." Jack brought the phone back to his ears after he heard the beep. "You're later than you said you'd be. Just…Just give me a call when you can ok?"

Jack nearly dropped the phone when a loud boom rang outside his window. The storm was just going to get worse. Pretty soon it will be raining.

"I really hope you're safe." Jack whispered as he ended the voicemail and slipped deeper into the couch hoping it would swallow him up like the bed scene from "Nightmare on Elm Street."

**XXX**

Hiccup had the gun pointed at Gothel's chest. After he had released the phone he spent the rest of his strength getting up and aiming it straight at his captor's heart. Gothel laughed in his face when he awkwardly cocked the gun. Hiccup swayed like a drunk man stumbling out of a bar.

The rest of the gang stood quiet waiting for the outcome of the situation. Rapunzel covered her ears expecting a gunshot to fill the air with the horrible high pitched sound. But instead she heard the loud and amused laugh of her mother.

"You are very brave you know that?" Gothel asked Hiccup who kept the gun tightly in his shaking hands. Gothel took a step forward. Hiccup shook the gun for emphasis and took a step closer as well.

"I'm as brave as I need to be." Holding the gun gave him newfound confidence. He was in control now. The others had knives and guns but they would be dead if they even tried to reach for the weapons in their pockets. Toothless was proud of his friends newfound strength. Gothel laughed again like what Hiccup said was the funniest thing she had ever heard.

"How cute. You really believe you're going to shoot me." Gothel withdrew her blade and examined it thoroughly. The blade glistened in the sunlight. Upon further notice Hiccup saw the sky begin to grow a dark grey. Hiccup had heard about a storm coming but he thought nothing of it. But he had assumed he'd be back home in Jack's arms. They'd sit in front of the fireplace, kiss, do other things, and then fall asleep in each other's arms like couples in cheesy summer romances.

"I will if I have to." Hiccup warned her to back off but she showed no sign of following his orders. Again she stepped forward. "I'm fucking warning you!" Hiccup screamed till he was red in the face. Gothel's smile disappeared. Her eyes narrowed and shadows cast onto her face like a killer from a horror film.

"I dare you."

Hiccup was struck dumb. He didn't expect her to challenge him. "W-What?"

"I dare you to pull the trigger and kill me." She was mocking him. Gothel wanted Hiccup to fear her like she was his worst nightmare. Hiccup could feel his knees buckle. His teeth chattered and his eyes glistened. He wanted to pull the trigger so badly. But holding her at bay was the only thing keeping the others away. Gothel stepped closer again till her stomach was pushed against the tip of the gun. "Do it."

Hiccup pulled the trigger.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: WARNING! This chapter is probably the most graphic so far. It contains brutality, rape, and implied murder. Enjoy?**

The gun clicked but no bullet was fired. Hiccup continuously pulled the trigger hoping the gun was just malfunctioning and would put a bullet into Gothel's stomach, ending her life and the suffering he had faced. But it didn't. The gun was empty. Even as Gothel approached him he continued to hopelessly pull the trigger. Gothel scowled.

"I thought you liked me Hiccup." Gothel had remembered Toothless calling the boy by that earlier. It suited him. Hiccups were awkward and irritating. Just like the boy. Gothel remembered how in Viking times the runt of the litter was called a "Hiccup." She pulled out her blade and pointed it directly at Hiccup's nose. She dug the tip deeper in until he winced in pain and watched a small drop of blood escape through the new exit.

He shuddered and continued to fire the empty gun. Gothel looked upon him with disgust. She immediately hated the boy. Even though she barely knew him. With one shove he was onto the ground. He looked like a frightened cat or an animal trapped in a cage with wolves.

"Pitch?" Gothel called her boyfriend without facing him. Pitch smiled with sick delight. He knew what she was thinking and he was grateful she would allow it. Again he eyed the boys figure and his growing desire rose to new levels. Hiccup himself had no idea what they meant. _Are they going to kill me?_ He asked himself.

"Yes dear?" Pitch stepped forward and stood beside Gothel like a right hand man. She smiled at him and nodded her head towards Hiccup.

"It's been a long day for the both of us. Why don't you show Hiccup what he's been missing out on?" She patted Pitch on the shoulder. Pitch grinned down at Hiccup.

Toothless knew what was going to happen. He had seen the way Pitch eyed Hiccup like he was for sale. He couldn't watch as they advanced upon his friend. There was no way for Toothless to save Hiccup from what was coming. It was unenviable. Like a sick twist of fate.

"That sounds wonderful dear." Pitch said trying to hide his growing arousal. Pitch looked around at the others who knew what was going down as well. "Anyone else?" Pitch offered. Everyone shook their heads. Greedler chuckled and murmured,

"Maybe later." Although he didn't look at Pitch, they both knew that they wanted the same thing. Hiccup.

Hiccup pushed himself backwards away from the two figures closing in behind him. Gothel knew that Hiccup would struggle. They always did. They didn't have the proper tools tonight so they would have to improvise. "Give me his shirt." Gothel instructed Pitch. Pitch took this as an invitation and proceeded.

"With pleasure." Pitch fumbled with the buttons on the collar of Hiccup's neck. Once his shirt was involved Hiccup knew what they were planning.

"No please!" He resumed sobbing and attempting to slap away their fondling hands. "Please!" His cries were silenced by Gothel stuffing a handkerchief into his mouth to muffle his outbursts. It was the same one from earlier. Hiccup held back the vomit desperate to escape through his mouth. Pitch held down the struggling teenager and slipped off the shirt, revealing his bare chest. Hiccup's chest heaved roughly as sobs raked through his body.

Gothel used the knife to rip the shirt in two. The sound of ripping fabric and Hiccup's whimpers cut through the silence of the room. It made his fate all the more closer. He didn't want this. He didn't want any of this. But it was happening.

Gothel shoved away Pitch to flip Hiccup over. His hands thrashed around frantically trying to free himself. But instead Gothel bound his wrists to avoid his escape.

Rapunzel watched in horror as Pitch fumbled with the belt buckle of Hiccup's pants.

**XXX**

Merida sat alone in the car whimpering. The new piercing in her ear was sore and fairly new. She had gotten it two days ago when she heard Hiccup was coming to town. She had been so excited to see her old friend again that she had spent the whole two days preparing herself for his arrival. She got new clothes and even tried to get her hair done. But sadly her wild locks continued to torment her so she had to leave with the same hairstyle. Only she had to pay the salon for her appointment anyways.

Jack's lake house grew nearer and nearer as the time went by. The songs from the radio could only keep her entertained for so long until she felt the need to doze off. Not even the hardcore screaming bands could keep her awake. Her eyes drooped like in old Mickey Mouse cartoons.

Merida neared the house and pulled into the driveway. Jack's old car was still there so he must still be home. Merida let out a sigh of relief that her long trip was finally over. Now she could spend time with her best friends and maybe even spend the night. She'd surely pass out behind the wheel if she left afterwards. Whenever Merida needed someplace to crash they'd let her stay in the guest house. But that was never the way it worked. They'd all sleep in the living room in front of the fireplace. Eating ice cream and telling stories about their weeks like old times when they were children.

The ground crunched beneath her feet as Merida approached the house.

It was a very nice home. It was painted white and remained fresh despite a few peelings here and there. Hiccup had kept the garden in shape during his short visits. But Jack never could. He usually forgot about the blooming flowers. But Hiccup never minded. It gave him something to do. Although Hiccup had forgotten to tend the wilting flowers this summer, they still managed to keep a fresh and beautiful color. Shades of violet and green made the house look like some kind of safe haven.

The lake was behind the home. It was large and deep, like they had their own private ocean. Hiccup had contemplated whether or not they should line the lake with sand but that would have been pricey and wouldn't have made much of a difference anyways in the end. Hiccup was a dreamer. But sometimes his dreams were just a little too high to reach.

But Hiccup had caught one of his dreams. Merida had heard about Hiccup's acceptance into Corona academy. Of course she wasn't quite sure which college she was going to apply to. Hell, she didn't even know what college would _accept_ her.

Merida rang the doorbell and waited. She rocked back and forth on her heels as she heard the scampering of feet and the sound of the door unlocking. Merida smiled up at her good friend Jack.

"Merida!" He exclaimed. Jack held out her arms and Merida jumped into them. They had hung out only three days ago. But they were so happy to see each other that every meeting was a better than the last. Their laughter drowned out the sounds of the thunder booming in the distance. Merida was surprised it hadn't started to rain yet.

"I thought you were meeting Hiccup in town." said Jack. He eyed Merida curiously.

"Yeah I know. But when I got there he wasn't there and he wouldn't answer his phone so I came here."

_Hiccup wasn't at the bar? Where could he have been then? Did Toothless take him somewhere?_

"Maybe he was just late. Or maybe you were late and-"

Merida stopped him. "Jack you don't understand. I talked to the manger." Merida paused, awaiting Jack's response. "Hiccup hasn't been there at all. In fact they haven't been anywhere else. I asked practically _everyone_ Jack. No one has seen Hiccup or Toothless."

**XXX**

Hiccup could feel Pitch inside of him. Invading him and ripping away the last shred of innocence left in him. The intrusion was nothing he hadn't experienced before. Jack and Hiccup had made love many times before. But this wasn't making love. This was fucking. Pitch was _fucking _him.

Toothless watched in horror as his friend's legs were held down by Gothel. She found herself watching the brutality of the scene before her. She almost caught herself smiling.

Hiccup's cries were muffled by the handkerchief in his mouth. But it could only do so good once Pitch slammed deeper inside him. Hiccup let out a high wail when the intrusion deepened like Pitch was holding some kind of record. Hiccup could feel his muscles tightening around Pitch's member. Pitch let out a groan.

"Tight." Was all he managed.

Hiccup let out a loud scream of agony. Pitch was annoyed by the boy's cries and gripped his throat tightly. "Shut up!" Pitch watched Hiccup reach for something around his neck. Pitch noticed it was the necklace Jack had given Hiccup. Pitch saw the shining locket and ripped it away from Hiccup's neck. This only made the boy scream louder.

The necklace lay at Gothel's feet. It shined and glistened like real gold. Of course Hiccup wasn't even sure if it was real. But without it Hiccup felt something inside him snap. Like a twig breaking or a bone snapping.

Toothless could feel the vomit in the pit of his stomach about to escape. His friend was being assaulted right in front of him and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Hiccup is not here.  
He is not laying face first on the ground with pieces of grass in his mouth and teeth.  
He is not being assaulted by the man behind him.  
His hair is not being gripped tightly by his assaulter, using the advantage to shove his face harder into the ground.  
His nose is not bleeding from the force of his face with the boots from earlier. He is not in the middle of the woods being violated while his best friend is forced to watch.

None of this is happening.

Hiccup is at home with Jack.  
They are eating dinner and laughing about the past. Jack digs into the wing of the chicken while Hiccup takes a leg.  
Hiccup is in his room studying while Jack tickles him trying to distract him and change his focus. Hiccup is lying in bed with Jack. They are both running their fingers through each other's hair whispering sweet nothings into their ears.  
Hiccup is ice skating with Jack. Jack is a natural while Hiccup keeps slipping up. Jack is teasing Hiccup and holding him up by his free arm. The ice get's too thin so they go home.  
Hiccup and Jack are looking through old photo's laughing and reminiscing about nostalgic times.  
Hiccup is simply home with Jack.

He is not here.  
He doesn't want to be here.  
But he has no choice.  
His mental escape is over.

Pitch pulls Hiccup out of his daydream. Hiccup is back in the woods with his pants around his ankles and a massive throbbing racking through his body. His nose _is _bleeding. But the blood does not distract him from the world around him.

Toothless can no longer look his friend in the eyes. Hiccup looks around to face his assaulters. But they turn their faces. Gothel is the only one looking at him.

"I bet Pitch was better than your little boyfriend ever was." She commented.

"Jack." Hiccup whimpered brokenly. It was true, Hiccup was broken. They had beaten and bruised him. Then they hurt him in a way he could never heal from. They had scared him beneath the skin. You couldn't put a band-aid or rubbing alcohol on those types of wounds.

Gothel smirked. Pitch let out a laugh as he struggled to pull up his pants. He towered over the broken Hiccup. He stared at the boy right in the eyes.

"Is that his name? Jack?" Pitch turned Hiccup over. Hiccup threw his arms up to protect his tears stained and bloody face. Pitch had the eyes of a hawk. Dark and watchful. Hiccup couldn't stomach looking Pitch in the eyes. It was like staring into the eyes of death before he pulled you into the eternal pit of the underworld.

"Jack." Hiccup's voice was barely a whisper. He had thrown out his voice from his loud wails and screams of pain/agony.

Rapunzel couldn't watch. If she had watched then she would be experiencing it along with Hiccup. She would be on the ground just as he was. Feeling the same feelings of hopelessness as he did. She hadn't even dared to speak. Hiccup had finally managed to release the handkerchief from his mouth. It fell to the ground freshly coated with a mixture of saliva and blood.

"Jack." He whimpered again. Rapunzel had heard Hiccup mentioning a boyfriend. She assumed Jack was the mystery boy. Rapunzel buried her face in her hands. She wished she could become a beautiful bird. One with golden feathers and green eyes like her own. So she could fly far away from here and be free. She'd even settle on being a flower. Because flowers wilt and die eventually.

Hiccup began to crawl. He crawled towards Rapunzel. His legs refused to function properly. He outstretched an arm like a toddler reaching for its mother from the crib. Rapunzel dared not to meet his gaze.

"Please…Rapunzel…Please." He held out both his hands now. He waddled on his stomach almost like the way a rubber duck bobs in the water.

Rapunzel could feel the tears running down her face. She let her hair shield her from Hiccup. Her long locks fell over her face like the girl from The Ring. Her shoulders heaved as sobs racked through her. She wanted to leave here. To disappear into the ground and be swallowed up whole. She'd even take Hiccup and Toothless with her. They'd run away and forget about the events of tonight. But they never would. The night had permanently carved the events beneath their skin. The memories would ring in their heads and stay there, hanging on with their invisible claws, never letting go.

"Please." He begged again. Rapunzel shifted herself so she wouldn't be facing Hiccup. Pitch saw the opportunity and rolled with it.

"Oh how heartless flower. The boy's reaching out to you and you're turning away." Pitch motioned to the scrawny figure on the ground. Hiccup was like a limp corpse. Only alive.

_I'm heartless?! I'm the one who has no heart here?_ Rapunzel demanded in her head. The mixture of hate and remorse sat in her stomach like a rock. She nearly shuddered when Hiccup vomited onto the ground. His lips quivered and shook. Breathless words in the tight center of his throat daring to come out and be heard. Hiccup stopped crawling. Instead he lay down. He was finished with fighting. He was giving up.

"Rapunzel." He whispered once more. Rapunzel looked up this time. She looked up from her bare feet on the ground and turned to Hiccup. The boy was a sorry sight. His face was bruised and bloody. Purple marks had begun to form around his eyes. Blood, vomit, and saliva dripped from his open gaping lips. His legs were cut and bruised as well. Gothel's fingerprints were starting to show around his ankles where she had pinned him down.

Rapunzel fell to her knees. Hiccup rested his head on the ground. He was too weak to move. The bottom or Rapunzel's dress was dirty and torn from her struggle in the woods. So she didn't care about the mud forming on her dress as she crawled towards Hiccup. Hiccup remained shirtless and naked from the bottom down. He looked like a newborn only larger and more gruesomely bloody. Rapunzel held out a cautious hand towards Hiccup. He was so frail and weak that she feared she would break him. He held out his hand, which Rapunzel took. Their hands locked together like they were programmed that way. Rapunzel scooted forward so she was beside the broken boy.

"Rapunzel….Jack." He whispered. Rapunzel held out her other hand and cupped his face. He gripped her hands tightly, thankful for the first gentle touch in what felt like hours. She laughed half heartedly. Tears spilled over her face. Hiccup smiled as well. But when he did Rapunzel saw just how much the boy was broken. Dirt and blood coated his teeth like a cannibal or creature of night. He saw the look of repulsion in her eyes and broke into sobs. He was so torn. He was like an empty shell that would never again be filled.

"It'll be ok." Rapunzel assured him, finally getting the nerve to speak up. Hiccup continued to sob. Rapunzel held the boys face and let him rest it upon her lap. She ran her fingers through his hair while he sobbed and wet her already ruined dress. Rapunzel's lip quivered at the sight.

Pitch stepped forward. He sat beside Rapunzel and set a hand on her shoulder. Rapunzel frisked away from his touch with disgust.

"What do you want?" She demanded with venom in her voice. Pitch's failed attempt at a sympathetic smile sent waves of revulsion through Rapunzel. She wanted to gorge his eyes out and use them to strangle him. But she couldn't. Then she would be just like him. And she wouldn't give Pitch that satisfaction.

"You need to do the right thing." Pitch again tried to set a hand on her shoulder. This time Rapunzel let him although she still felt hate boiling in the pit of her stomach. Hiccup buried his face into her lap, cringing at the sound of Pitch's voice.

"W-What?" Rapunzel whispered. Her voice was hoarse and weak. She feared what Pitch was planning. She knew it couldn't be good.

Pitch extended his hand. Gothel stepped forward and placed a small dagger onto his palm. It had a wooden handle with black writings on it, maybe in Latin or Greek. Rapunzel honestly couldn't tell. Maybe some kind of foreign language.

"NO!" Toothless stiffened at the sight. He struggled against the Brothers arms but they did not release. He was trapped and he could do nothing to help his friend. He was worthless.

Pitch gripped Rapunzel's wrist. She pulled away slightly to keep distance between their faces. But Pitch leaned in closer. He flipped over her hand and slid the dagger into hers. Rapunzel fumbled to hold the knife firmly without dropping it. But even then the blade still tilted awkwardly and refused to stay put in her hand.

"Look at him." Pitch demanded. Rapunzel fought back tears as she looked over the quivering mess named Hiccup. His sobs were muffled but still audible. Pitch continued. "The boy's never going to recover from this. He's a lost cause Flower." He gripped her face in her hands. Not forcefully and violently like earlier, but gentler and sympathetic. "Put him out of his misery. You'll be doing him a favor." Pitch motioned towards the blade in Rapunzel's hand. She curled her lips and freed herself from his grasp.

"No! I won't do it!" She forcefully tried to shove the knife back into his hands but he refused.

"Rapunzel we can't let them leave and tell someone. The boy is already dead. You just need to make it permanent." Pitch's voice had turned gruff and angry. No longer soft and comforting. Rapunzel was on her own with this decision. They were going to kill him even f she refused.

Rapunzel looked over Hiccup and wondered if he really could be saved. If they let him go then he would spend years on a couch talking to a short, thin man with a pencil trying to squeeze every last moment of tonight out of him. Hiccup would never be able to relive today without scars. They were too deep to heal.

"I. Won't. Fucking. Do. It." Rapunzel growled. Her eyes narrowed at the others around her. They were cowards in her eyes. They didn't have the human decency or bravery to do it themselves. But Pitch did.

"Fine." Pitch nodded towards Gothel who grabbed Rapunzel by the arms. She pulled even as Rapunzel kicked and screamed to get away. But what they didn't notice was that they left the knife on the ground.

Hiccup lifted himself to his knees. His last bit of comfort was literally torn away from him. With quivering hands he lifted up his pants. After many frustrating attempt he managed to button them so they wouldn't fall down. He remained shirtless. His whole body shook with shivers and waves of pain. The others watched him struggle just to get to his feet. It was like watching a cripple struggle to climb back into a wheelchair.

"Well, well, well." commented Greedler. He was amazed that Hiccup was actually trying again. He assumed the boy had given up, so he slightly respected the boy's strength.

"_Jack."_ Hiccup muttered. The others were fed up with hearing Hiccup continuously repeat his boyfriend's name. Especially Pitch. _"Jack."_

"Shut up would you?" Pitch snapped. He was already frustrated with Rapunzel's stubbornness. Now Hiccup was trying to be brave?

Hiccup stumbled towards the Stabbington brothers. They eyed the boy curiously, wondering what was going through his head. Hiccup looked his friend dead in the eyes. His lips opened and closed like he was trying to say something but the words wouldn't come. Toothless finally spoke up.

"H-Hiccup?"

"Run."

"Run?" Toothless stopped when he saw Hiccup withdraw something from behind his back, the knife from earlier. "Run." Toothless repeated. Hiccup nodded.

Rapunzel had seen Hiccup take the knife. She was glad he did. But she feared what he would do with it. However, she had a good idea what it could be. Rapunzel looked up from the ground when she heard the yowling of one of the Stabbington brothers.

The brother on the left, George, was yowling in pain. A knife was fastened tightly into his shoulder blade. Blood dripped from his open palm and onto the ground and the front of his shirt.

Flynn silently cursed when he saw Hiccup running off into the distance. "Bring him back!" He ordered the others. They all ignored George's agonized cries and fled after the boy. Toothless took advantage of the new found freedom and ran in the next direction.

It was like a comedy show from the 90's. Everyone was scrambling around trying to catch the boys who were both running far away from each other. Rapunzel followed after Hiccup. She desperately wanted to know if he would be safe. Or at least survive. But her heart sank when she saw Gothel pull out the gun. And aim it in Hiccup's direction.

**XXX**

Merida placed both hands on her friend's shoulders. Jack was pacing the room nervously. Merida had tried and failed to calm him down.

"I'm sure he's fine Jack." Merida walked beside him. "What could he possibly have gotten himself into? You know Hiccup. He always has a plan."

The lights flickered as another booming thunder ripped through the silence. Eventually the lights went dead. Swallowing them up in darkness.

"How is the power out already?" Merida cursed. Jack paid it no mind. He simply sat down on the couch with his face buried into his hands.

Merida watched as her best friend's shoulder's heaved with sobs before she went to go find the candles.

**XXX**

_Run, run, run._ Hiccup replayed the words in his head over and over. His feet ached inside his shoes. His head throbbed like a heartbeat. And his legs were still sore from the early assault.

Hiccup was not afraid of dying today.  
He was afraid of dying today without seeing Jack one more time.

"Jack." He gasped between breaths. Hiccup ran forward, venturing deeper into the woods.

The trees cast shadows all around him, creating distorted images like in Snow White and the seven dwarves. He saw grim faces cruelly smiling down on him. He heard the snapping of branches and the howling of animals and the harsh cawing of birds. Everything around him suddenly turned into a theat.

Hiccup remembered the time him and Jack had gone camping in these woods. Jack couldn't set up the tent so Hiccup had to do it for him. Afterwards a storm began to send their tent flying into the skies. Jack had gotten a cold from the weather so Hiccup wrapped him in a blanket and sat with him the whole night, just enjoying each other's company. Such good memories here were now crushed and replayed with horrible ones he wouldn't soon forget.

Hiccup stopped. He was at the end of a lake. But not just any lake, the lake behind his home. Hiccup could see him home right there. It was so close he could practically reach out and touch it. But the angry cries behind him drew nearer. Taking a large gulp of air, Hiccup dove into the water.

Rapunzel watched from afar. She had stopped running after she had seen Gothel withdraw her gun. Things were too real for Rapunzel to process. Her heart was pounding as hard as the blood in her ears.

"Mother, don't!" Rapunzel cried. Gothel pulled the trigger. The gunshot reminded Rapunzel of the sound of a car backfiring. It rang in her ears like an echo. The bullet grazed past Hiccup's right leg and dove into the waters, never to be seen again. Gothel cursed and cocked the pistol again. "Please mother!" Rapunzel was held back by Flynn who grabbed her by the waist.

"Slow down Blondie." He muttered. Rapunzel struggled to free herself from his iron grasp. She reached out her arms to reach for Hiccup, but Flynn grabbed her arm and twisted. "I said, slow down Blondie." Rapunzel gritted her teeth at the burning pain. It made her eyes tear up and her cheeks red. Flynn almost caught himself enjoying the feeling of her squirming before him. But they didn't have time for that now. They had to get the boy.

Hiccup's mouth filled with water before he could spit it out. He remembered teaching Jack to swim but utterly failing. Jack just wasn't the swimming type. He always had a fear of drowning. But Hiccup remembered how he had taught Jack to always shift positions so he didn't get water up his nose. And that's exactly what Hiccup did.

Hiccup could hear the bullet's grazing past him like he was wearing some kind of force field. Maybe he was and he didn't know it. That would have been a wonderful turn of events. But Hiccup had no force field. He was in the middle of the lake, out in the open, trying to swim home while dodging bullets.

"Mother!" Rapunzel shouted. Even as Flynn twisted tighter Rapunzel continued to scream for her mother to stop the brutal scene before her. It was like they were hunting him like an animal. "Mother! Please don't do it!"

Another shot rang out. This time it struck Hiccup in the leg. Bubbles madly escaped his lips as Hiccup screamed below the surface. The blood spilled out of Hiccup's leg and stained the water like ink on paper. He continued to thrash however he slowed from the fresh wound.

Gothel held the gun firmly, aimed it at Hiccup's back, and pulled the trigger.

"Mother no!"

The sound of metal meeting flesh was silenced by Hiccup's choked cries. The bullet had struck him. It was hard for Rapunzel to tell exactly where. But the blood had turned the water around Hiccup coppery and angry red. It reminded Rapunzel of a story she had read at a hotel her and the others were staying at. The story of Moses and how he turned the water into blood and sent maybe eleven plagues upon Egypt. It was like the story was playing before her. Only things weren't going to end up ok for the good guys in this story. This wasn't a fairytale. The good don't prevail and the evil aren't defeated. This is the story where the good are punished. And the bad rewarded.

Hiccup stopped swimming, and basically moving all together. He turned over on his side and gasped for air. But as he opened his mouth, it was soon filled with cold and salty water. It had begun to rain.

Slowly, very slowly, Hiccup closed his eyes.

Flynn let out a sigh. He wasn't sure if it was a sigh of relief or anguish over the brutality of the boy's assault today.

"Y-You got him." Pitch stammered. He hadn't expected Gothel to have such great aim.

Gothel nodded; surprised that she too had been able to hit him. "Yeah. Let's go." She blankly walked backwards into the direction from which they came. "I think I saw a house around here. We can get some help and maybe patch up George's shoulder."

Rapunzel fell to her knees. Her lip's quivered and her breath was shaky. She wanted to scream but instead she let out a hoarse wail. Hiccup was hurt and most likely dying because of her. Gothel pulled her to her feet.

"Sweetheart, I only did what needed to be done." Gothel hugged Rapunzel close. Rapunzel could smell the cigarette smoke and cheap perfume lingering in her mother's hair.

Hiccup took a deep inhale. But only about 2% of what he inhaled was air. The rest was water. The rain fell onto his face and into his eyes, clouding his vision. His throat tightened as he struggled to keep his head above water. But instead it only resulted in him sinking deeper.

It was at that moment, Hiccup knew he was going to die.

**A/N: Cliffhangers are the worst aren't they? And I tried to not be too descriptive of a certain scene… *cough* but I had to keep the story true to the original source material. Hope you enjoyed and expect an update soon. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: What's this? An update?! This is all so new to me….Oh well. (Is that my moto or something?)  
I hope I didn't cross the line too far in my last chapter, (Of course I did) so I plan to keep this chapter as appropriate as possible. (Yeah right.) P.S. I'll be fixing Merida's accent in the last chapters. I keep forgetting she's irish. XD  
R/R please!**

The match refused to light no matter how many times Merida scratched it against the cheap carboard box. She cursed herself beneath her breath when she realized she was using the wrong side. How clever of her.

"This damn storm is killin me." She muttered angrily. Worry had already crept up her spine and sent unwanted and cruel "what if's" into her head.

_What if Hiccup was hurt?  
What if Toothless was hurt too?_

Merida pushed away the ridiculous notions that tried to carve their angst into the back of her mind like initials on a tree.

The match lit and shined like a halo or burning bush. Merida felt like Moses guiding the slaves through the ocean with her lit match in hand. Merida was the type of girl who found roses beneath ashes and diamonds beneath sand. The storm could annoy her, but it wouldn't drag her down to drown.

"Jack?" Merida called out in the empty room. The light could barely allow her to see what room she was in. Even though she had a strong feeling it was Jack and Hiccup's since Jack was an occasional smoker, hence where she found the matches. Jack was not the addictive type. More like the kind of person who takes out smokes like champagne at rare occasions.

Through the darkness Merida could make out the wall beside her. Immediately a warm and natural smile washed over her face, making the dimples on her cheeks stick out like sore thumbs. It was Hiccup's wall. The one he used to hang up pictures of them. All three of them.

One picture was taken during Hiccup's sixteenth birthday. Jack had arranged an overblown party filled with the kids from Hiccup's school. Hiccup appreciated the gesture even though most of the kids there had just come for the cake. Merida was the one who took the picture. It was easy to see her thumb in the top right corner, sending a pinkish haze over the top of Hiccup's head.

Merida reached out to touch the photo with her fingertips. She smiled and noticed something odd. In the background Toothless was visible although blurry. He wore a colorful party hat in the shape of a cone. Jack had made all the party hats for the kids but only four out of twenty wore them. The rest wore lampshades after drinking too much vodka. Toothless was looking at the camera with an annoyed expression. A clear drink spilled over the tips of his cup from squeezing too hard. Merida wondered why Toothless could be so mad at a simple picture. Was it because of Hiccup and Jack?

Hiccup seemed happy in the photo. He had the courtesy to humor Jack and wear the repulsive party hat even though it hung lopsidedly on the side of his head like a crooked rainbow horn. Hiccup's eyes were slightly closed because of his large crooked grin. Jack's eyes were closed as he planted a heartfelt kiss on Hiccup's cheek. His eyebrows raised high as his cheeks were visibly pink. Hiccup and Jack's relationship was well known at that time so no one in the crowd seemed to care. Some people had even awed at the couples genuine compassion for each other. Merida clicked her tongue at her own sappy thoughts and returned her gaze to Toothless.

Merida knew for a fact that Toothless was bitter towards Hiccup and Jack's open relationship. But no one was quite sure why. Toothless was definitely not homophobic. He had plenty of other gay friends. Well, he knew other gay people. Hiccup was pretty much Toothless's only real friend besides Merida, whom Toothless was relatively close to.

"Merida?" Jack asked. He was clearly slipping in the hallways from lack of clear vision. Merida let out a sigh and made her way to the hallway to see Jack, fumbling and falling like a toddler learning to walk.

"You aught'a stay still. I'm gonna search for some candles."

Jack ignored her and took another hasty step in the darkness. Something slid beneath his feet and sent him falling face first onto the hardwood floor.

"Told ya."

**XXX**

Rapunzel could not breathe. Her breath came in shuddered gasps as she forced her legs to move. Gothel held a tight arm around Rapunzel's shoulder, her prosthetic nails digging too deep into the flesh of her shoulder. But Rapunzel bit back the urge to ask her mother to stop. She wanted to feel pain.

_I deserve this._ She convinced herself. _Hiccup is dead because of me and now they're going to kill the other boy. Toothless I think his name was._

Rapunzel's feet made a sickening _slosh_ sound whenever she took a step. It was like the factory background sounds from "The Lorax." The rain had liquidated the ground till it was nothing but grass and mud. It felt like with every step Rapunzel was yanking her feet free of quicksand.

The rain poured over her face like a shower. But not even the rain could wash away her guilt. Rapunzel was horrified with her mistake tonight. Whether it was survivors guilt or not, it still ate away at her like the black plague. If only she had warned the boys sooner. Her stomach dropped to her toes. Rapunzel slung her heavy heart over her shoulder and moved forward.

Rapunzel looked over the grim or vacant faces of those around her. Pitch kept his cool although there was a hesitation with every step. Pitch had killed many people before. But this time, it seemed so heavy. This was a boy who apparently had his whole life ahead of him. A boyfriend he seemed to love, a nice car so obviously he had a supportive job, and a loyal friend who was willing to risk his hide to protect him. Pitch knew nothing about the others he had killed in the past. They were all unfamiliar faces with no past or identity. Almost like ghosts or drifters. They were killed for the sake of spilled blood. It kept Pitch uneasy but did not distract him from his new task, finding shelter for the night.

Gothel had no blood on her hands. Metaphorically that is since her hands and clothes were soaked in the coppery liquid. But other than that the only thing keeping her down was how frizzy the rain was making her hair. Her grip tightened on her daughter for fear Rapunzel would fall to her knees and sob like earlier. Gothel hated that about her daughter. She hated that her daughter had sympathy and compassion. She hated that her daughter had a beating heart while hers had shriveled up and died like the core of a rotten apple long ago.

Onceler and Greedler were good at hiding their emotions. Emotions were a sign of weakness in their group. If you shed a tear, you weren't considered a man. Greedler busied himself by glancing at his mirror to make sure his hat was protecting his head from the pouring rain. Onceler lacked any signs of unhappiness while his brother lacked any sign of remorse.

The Stabbington brothers were too busy trying to apply pressure to George's wound. It seeped through his clothes and stained them like ink on paper. George gritted his teeth and tried to hold back a yelp whenever he moved his shoulder. Jeff found a slight amusement seeing his brother so weak and vulnerable. It was about time he started acting like the older brother. George was so obsessed with his own confidence that Jeff blended into the background of the gang, watching his brother with a scowl the whole time.

Flynn was the only one with a slight sign of guilt. His shoulders slumped and his steps were lacking. Whenever he locked Gothel's eyes however it reminded him that this would not be the last time that they kill someone innocent. He learned long ago, practically from birth, that this was his life. It was the only life he knew and the only life that would accept him. It was a cut-throat business that he had no choice in. It was decided for him. Like a twisted turn of destiny.

Flynn straightened himself and marched forward. Rapunzel looked away when his eyes darted towards hers. Rapunzel barely spoke with Flynn unless she had to in the past, which is odd considering they were technically siblings despite having different fathers. That made them half-siblings. However, they were as far away from each other as siblings went.

"I think we should stop by the lake here." Gothel announced. "Just for a second."

Gothel proceeded to wash Hiccup's blood from her hands like she was doing laundry.

Rapunzel sat beside her with shaky breaths. Her damp clothing made her feel freezing. Gothel smiled warmly at her daughter. But Rapunzel knew it was just to be polite.

Gothel reached out to caress her daughter's cheek. "I have something for you dear." She whispered, sounding excited. Rapunzel sat still, too terrified to move a muscle. Gothel reached into her pocket and pulled out a long golden chain, at the end was a matching golden locket in the shape of a perfect oval. _Hiccup's necklace._ Rapunzel remembered seeing him wearing it. She also remembered Pitch ripping away while he-

Rapunzel took a sharp intake of breath when Gothel pulled the golden chain over her head. Rapunzel felt sick wearing it. She had never stolen from the groups past victims. Now all she wanted to do was cast it out into the lake. Let it sink to the bottom along with Hiccup. Gothel smiled and returned to the lake. Rapunzel bit tightly at her lips until they bled.

Gothel scrubbed at her arms till they grew pink with irritation. Rapunzel stiffened when her mother closed her lips, and began to hum as Hiccup's blood washed away into the lake, taking away the remaining evidence of the horrible events of tonight.

**XXX**

Merida found the candles beneath the kitchen sink. They were small and all had strange scents like, "beach sand" and "Ivory leaves." And they all smelled terrible, but they gave Merida and Jack some light so neither of them complained.

Jack buried his face in his hands. Merida stroked his back encouragingly. Comforting someone was never Merida's strong side. Usually her attempts to console someone turned awkward and put tension between her and her friends.

Merida slapped her knees to break through the tense wall between them. Jack didn't look up.

"We're aint gonna to get anything done just sittin' here. We aught'a open a bottle of scotch and waste the night away. Once the storm stop's we'll call up the police. Till then let's calm down and have some fun." Merida made her way to the kitchen that was dimly lit by the two candles Merida had set upon the countertop. The thick smell sent the hairs in Merida's nose standing straight like soldiers. Merida pushed them aside so she could reach the wine cabinet.

Jack freed himself from his own grasp. The skin around his eyes was red and wet with forced tears. Jack hated it when he couldn't cry. He hated it when the tears formed but refused to release. It was like having a knife locked inside your body that continuously tried to stab its way out.

Merida looked over her shoulder to see the poor condition of her friend. Jack looked like a wreck. Stress was clearly visible in his expression. But he forced a smile when they locked eyes. Merida felt a slight tinge of guilt for brushing off the subject of Hiccup and Toothless so lightly. Hiccup could be hurt and they wouldn't even know.

Reality met up with her when the bottle slipped from her hands and onto the floor. The crash sent Jack standing straight up. Merida let out a yelp higher than she had intended. Her wild red hair fell onto her face and blinded her eyes. Merida threw up her arm's to grab something but her hands only snatched air. Merida fell to the floor with a loud _crash._

**XXX**

After Gothel was finished she inspected the clothing of the others. The only notable traces of blood were on their shoes from when they had pounded Hiccup beneath their feet like killing cockroaches. Gothel made sure to scrub them clean until there wasn't a drop left of Hiccup.

"Good thing that's over with." She announced, clapping her hands together like she was leading an assembly. "Let's get going."

George scowled. His face was twisted in brutal pain. The knife had cut through his flesh like butter. The wound was most likely a few inches deep. Not even the rag against his wound could stop the bleeding that poured through it with little to no signs of stopping.

"What about the boy?" He growled. His voice was ragged and ruff from exhaustion and pain. Gothel pointed forward to the path ahead.

"He's as good as dead out here. He'll never survive the night without being mauled by some kind of animal. If not then he's our problem in the morning. Till then we need to patch up George's shoulder. I noticed a house not too far from here. I'm sure the boy went in the other direction."

No one complained. It was a long day and neither of them had the energy to go any further, especially not enough to go after Toothless who they all assumed lost.

Rapunzel moved forward not questioning or even making a sound. Her blonde hair fell over her face like slithering snakes. Her skin itched from the sandy dirt mixed with salty rain water scratching at her ankles like an infection. Gothel noticed her limp and wrapped a protective arm around her daughter.

"Once we get to the house I'll see if we can get you a nice bath. Doesn't that sound great sweetheart?" Gothel laid a kiss upon Rapunzel's drenched head. Rapunzel stiffened but did not object. Her lips curled in disgust and she looked down at the ground, not wanting to face the monster she called mother.

Rapunzel closed her eyes and silently prayed that Toothless would be ok.

She hoped he would find the police and her family would be arrested. Locked away in some kind of tall prison in the middle of the ocean where they would never hurt another innocent person.

But that wouldn't happen. Even if the police found them, her family wouldn't go out without a fight.

They'd most likely die in a hail of gunfire.

Rapunzel preferred that.

**XXX**

Merida rubbed at the back of her head with a pained expression. Her eyes were squinted shut and her head throbbed like a heartbeat. She opened her eyes slowly to see Jack above her, his hand outstretched and an amused grin plastered on his face.

"Took quite a fall didn't you?" He teased. Merida rolled her eyes before taking his hand. He yanked her to her feet despite her imbalance.

"Oh, shut up. Damn it! Ma skirt!" Merida grabbed her now whine stained green skirt that dripped the red juice to the floor. "I never intended to get it dyed. Damn it."

Jack's smug expression made her want to pop him on the side of the head. But Jack was out of his funk so she was content with that.

"Hey now! Don't go crazy on me red. Just take it off. I don't know what the deal is with women wearing skirts over jeans anyways." Jack raised his hands defensively like Merida was holding her bow and arrows. Merida wished she could get them from the back of her car and teach the white haired teenager a lesson.

"Shut it. I'm gonna clean this up before I make another mess of myself." Merida fell to her knees and held out a hand. "Hand me a towel or something. I can't use my hands now can I?"

Jack immediately recognized Merida annoyed glare and went for the bathroom before he got himself killed. Jack never admitted it, but he liked it when Merida got mad. Her overblown insults and exaggerated expressions had him slapping his knees and laughing like a mad donkey.

Walking down the hallways Jack was hit like a bullet. The walls were covered in pictures of Hiccup. Since Hiccup lived far away in Berk and Jack lived in Burgess, they barely had time to see each other except for summers and briefly on spring break. So Jack kept the photo's as constant reminders of how lucky he was.

Hiccup's father was hesitant about their relationship but he had to accept that Hiccup was becoming a man, and he had to make his own decisions. Hiccup decided to be with Jack. So whether Stoick liked it or not, he couldn't interfere.

Jack worried for Hiccup's safety. He was reluctant to let Toothless take Hiccup around town without him. Jack would have gone but he was planning to prepare the surprise acceptance into Corona University for Hiccup. That is of course, until Hiccup didn't show up. The whole night had blown up in his face and Hiccup wasn't even there to apologize.

Jack couldn't blame Hiccup however.

If only he knew.

**XXX**

The group appeared at the doorsteps of the house. Rapunzel marveled at house nice and well kept it appeared. Even though the garden needed work it was still a gorgeous house. And the home beside it was equally proportional in design and height. Rapunzel prayed it was vacant.

Gothel stepped forward and with an innocent smile, she knocked at the door.

**XXX**

Jack stopped to look over all of Hiccup's photos. Jack was usually the joker when it came to taking photos. Hiccup would try to shove him away from hogging the camera while trying to avoid it at the same time. Barely any of their photos's looked professional. That is of course except one photo in particular. Jack's favorite in fact.

It was the picture of the first time Jack and Hiccup celebrated Christmas together. They went to North's shop for the party.

North was an exaggerator when it came to Christmas. The entire factory was lined with Golden Fleece, cakes and pastries filled the tables making the room heavy with sweet smells, and the rest of the workers were even permitted to dress up for Christmas. Bunny preferred to wear his usual plain uniform no matter how much Tooth and Sandy tried to coax him into at least putting on a hat.

In the photo Hiccup smiling at the camera, Hiccup had his arms wrapped around Jack like _he_ was his Christmas present. Clearly Jack wasn't looking forward. He was too busy watching Hiccup like he was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. And that's because it was true.

That night was the first night Hiccup and Jack came out about their relationship.

"Hey Merida! I think the towel-"

There was a knock at the door.

**XXX**

_Breathe. Open your mouth and breathe._

Hiccup was sinking lower into the lake. His arms lifted above him almost like he was unconsciously reaching out for help. Tiny bubbles erupted from his lips; they bobbed to the surface like tiny jellyfish.

Hiccup could not move.  
He wanted to move a little, just a twitch of the leg like a dying cockroach. But the water dragged him lower.  
The water felt so heavy, with its depths wide open, welcoming him in so graciously.  
Hiccup's lungs burned for air. It was like he had swallowed rocks that dragged him down deeper.  
The tiny bubbles escaping his lips continued to fight for their place back above surface. Hiccup wished he could join them. Float to the top like a rubber duck and breathe in a large intake of air.  
It was dark.  
Hiccup was cold.  
And scared.  
There was no light except for one small beam shining through the dark abyss.  
Looking closer, his eyes burning from the saltiness of the water, Hiccup could see the moon.  
It was so _big.  
_And so _bright.  
_It seemed to chase the darkness away.  
And when it did, Hiccup wasn't scared anymore.  
_Jack._  
Hiccup remembered repeating those words over and over repeatedly even as the group beat him, violated him, and left him for dead.

_Jack._ That was when it happened. Hiccup's body responded to his mind.

His legs kicked forward, quick and clumsy, like a newborn.

Hiccup's arms shot forward and cut through the water like daggers through butter. His legs continuously paddled as he thrashed forward, desperate to reach the surface.

Desperate to reach above the moon.

But there was one problem, Hiccup was still below the surface no matter how hard he thrust forward.

_Jack._

He pushed with his arms and legs but he could find no leverage, for all he knew he was pushing himself further down

_Jack._

Cold water filled his lungs and blood pounded behind his eyes.

_Jack._

The lake pushed down on him from all sides.

_Jack._

Hiccup felt something cold on his fingertips. Then the feeling engulfed his hands, his hair, his head, his neck, air.

Hiccup threw back his head and gasped for the cool air blanketed around him. It hugged him close and sent goose bumps down his spine. Hiccup did not care.

Hiccup's legs thrashed about to keep his head above water. The lake erupted from Hiccup's mouth in a sick mixture of salt, blood, and vomit. It stained his clothes and the water around him. His lungs fought against the lake for the right to breathe. The lake still in the pit of his throat sat there like a rock.

With another vomit inducing hurl Hiccup could finally breathe. The cold air gave comfort to his burning raw throat. The water reached out its claws to drag him under but Hiccup slapped them away. His arms obeyed instinct and paddled forward.

_Jack.  
Jack.  
Jack._

"JACK!" The words finally escaped their prison in the base of Hiccup's throat.

Hiccup was going home.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: So sorry for taking so long. I'm working on an original book I want to finish so I take long breaks from my fanfiction so I can work on it. I have so many unfinished stories I need to update its insane. But in the meantime please enjoy this story. And ignore and plot-holes you might notice. I DO MY BEST!**

The woods were like mazes to Toothless. His breathing was rough and his chest heaved with every pant escaping from his open mouth. His feet ached and his legs cramped like an elderly person with arthritis.

Toothless had heard the gunshots. They spilt through the air and cut off all sound around him. A high pitched shot buzzed in his ears from the aftermath of the bullet. Toothless stopped running so he could fall to his knees gracelessly.

More shots rang out like it was the Fourth of July. Toothless wished it could be that simple. He wished that he could rewind time with a handy little button and go back to a good memory.

Toothless wished and wished till he almost believed they would come true. Like his own private fairy godmother would kiss his cheek, tell him everything would be ok, and make everything about tonight wash away like Hiccup's blood in the lake.

One more shot. Then there was silence; horribly long silence. In the distance Toothless swore he could hear the beating of a butterfly's wings. Then it began to rain.

Not the simple drizzling kind of rain that only requires you to pull up the top of your hoodie. But the kind of rain that could sweep you up from your feet like the tears in "Alice in Wonderland." It sprawled Toothless's hair over his face almost completely covering it. But he did not care. The shot's were finished. There was no sound except for the pouring rain drenching him from head to toe.

"Hiccup."

Toothless had no choice. He ran back in towards the direction where he heard the gunshots.

**XXX**

Merida nearly dropped the broom when she saw the tall figures in the doorway. They were wet, dirty, frankly pretty creepy, and one of them was bleeding heavily from the shoulder. It was an awkward and strange sight. But she stood still, letting Jack handle the new arrivals.

"Please help." Gothel begged, her voice high and falsely desperate. Gothel's bony hands reached out to grasp the collar of Jack's hoodie. He backed away but could not avoid being seized by her iron grasp. He felt shackled as Gothel let out a low whimper that erupted from the back of her throat.  
"You have no idea how much we need your help."

Jack held up the woman as she struggled to stand upright. "It'll be ok miss. Just tell me what's wrong." Jack assured her that everything would be alright. Gothel smirked, knowing he had bought her act.

"What's wrong with him?" Merida demanded, making her way to the towering man before Jack. He eyed her cautiously, and a bit inappropriate for Merida's comfort. "Uh…Are you alright?" George shook his head, no. Merida nodded, unsure of what to say.

"Come on in. We'll get the first aid kit." Jack shooed off Merida and sent her for the kit in the basement. Merida went off hoping to get away from the strange new visitors, even if she had to deal with the creepy spider infested basement. It gave her the creeps, but not as much as them.

Jack extended his hand towards the couch before him. The only other seats beside the couch were two lounge chairs that Hiccup and Jack shared whenever they wanted to simply sit together in peace and quiet. Jack would always turn the quiet into noise easily.

Gothel seated herself cozily in Hiccup's lounge chair. Jack wanted to object but the group seemed lost, so he kept quiet and bit his tongue. George and Jeff seated themselves on the couch. Onceler, Greedler, and Flynn stood against the wall like they were being photographed for their prisoner ID's. Pitch took Jack's chair and Rapunzel simply stood in the doorway, wet and trembling from the cold.

Jack opened the door wider for her to open but she hovered there, eyes glossy and almost in a daze. She didn't seem all there. Jack wondered if she was "special" or anxious. "Hey, are you alright?"

Rapunzel lifted her gaze from her toes. She wasn't wearing any shoes. _What the hell happened to this girl?_ Jack asked himself, briefly looking back at the vague expressions of the others. No one besides Gothel spoke up.

"I'm terribly sorry about her. Rapunzel is quite anxious when it comes to traveling. We came here for a vacation and she hasn't been right ever since." Gothel smiled breathlessly, almost like it was forced. "She's quite the little oddball. Might as well put her in a basket and leave her on the doorstep. It would be easier than dealing with the trouble she causes."

Jack was taken aback by Gothel's cruel remark about her own daughter. But it wasn't Jack's place to question them, even if they were in his house. Jack returned his gaze to Rapunzel. She hadn't moved an inch, yet she still shivered till she vibrated like a cell phone. Jack gave her a halfhearted smile. He was good with kids, how could this girl be any different?

"I understand you're nervous. But I'm going to help your friend. So wouldn't you want to come inside? I could make you some hot chocolate." Jack extended his hand. Rapunzel's lip quivered, she held out her hand. Jack took it and lightly urged her into the house.

Jack did not mind that Rapunzel's drenched clothing pooled water onto the floor in large puddles. It revealed her undergarments beneath much to Jack's embarrassment. Her blonde hair that he once assumed was beautiful, was matted and fell over her face like a horror movie effect.

"You want some hot chocolate?" He asked the girl, leading her to the couch. He noticed that all the seats were taken. Jack pretended to ignore the fact and sat her in front of the fireplace. Rapunzel still sat dazed and anxious. She met Jack's eyes with her own pleading ones. Jack however wasn't sure what she was pleading for.

Gothel noticed her daughter's strange behavior and snapped, "Rapunzel! You answer this nice young man!" Rapunzel cringed, avoiding her icy stare.

"Yes please." Rapunzel responded. Jack envied the sound of her voice. She sounded so young and her voice was like listening to a melody. Jack smiled and patted her on the shoulders.

"Sure thing. Would anyone else like some?"

Everyone shook their heads. Jack nodded and went off to fetch Rapunzel a mug. George's eyes met Jacks. His scowl was clearly visible on his pain stricken face. Jack hoped Merida would hurry up so he wouldn't have to be alone with them.

"Is your girlfriend gonna take long?" George snapped, not even trying to hide the aggression and irritation in his voice.

Jack gave him a sly sideways glance. "She's not my girlfriend." Jack pondered whether or not to bring up Hiccup. "I'm kinda in a relationship already." _Why did I tell them that?_ Jack asked himself. _I'm sure they're harmless._

Gothel raised a brow. "Oh, really? Anyone around here? I might know them." Gothel didn't know a single person in town.

"Actually no. My boyfriend's just visiting for the summer. He went out for a drive with his friend." Jack hurried into the kitchen before they pushed him further. Jack just didn't feel right about them. One second they looked harmless, the next second they seemed like grim faces of boogeymen.

Gothel made sure that Jack was gone before turning to Pitch with amusement. "You don't think…." Gothel waved her hand flamboyantly. "Nah. It can't be."

Rapunzel continued to shiver by the fireplace. She could feel their bloodthirsty eyes on her, just waiting for her to slip up. Rapunzel stood, regretting every step she took towards the kitchen. She was cautious to not alarm Jack when she stepped in. Jack acknowledged her with a nervous smile.

"Nice to see you're up and running. I'll have the hot chocolate done in a jiff." Jack busied himself with the mugs situated lazily and messy in the sink, screaming for a bath. _Next time do the dishes when Hiccup leaves. He's going to come back with a heart attack._ Jack reminded/scolded himself.

The air was unnaturally tense. Everyone in the living room was in the middle of a heated discussion. Rapunzel prayed the discussion did not depend of Jack's life.

"You don't talk much do you?"

Rapunzel let out an exhausted sigh. She was so _tired._

"I only talk when spoken to."

_Weird._ Jack thought. Rapunzel didn't seem to have any connection with the outside world to Jack. She was like a dress up doll his sister had in the fourth grade. Limp, dark and lifeless eyes, easily accessible and easy to carry around like a handbag. Jack felt sympathy and nervousness towards her.

The hot chocolate mix spilled onto the tabletop when Jack tried to pour it into the mug. Rapunzel's eyes wandered the room.

The kitchen was a slight mess. Jack had forgotten to clean after throwing out the dinner planned for Hiccup. Rapunzel didn't mind. She rarely saw kitchens due to being on the road constantly.

Rapunzel's eyes then stopped at the fridge.

On the fridge were three simple pictures.

One of the pictures was of Merida whom Rapunzel met in the living room. In the picture Merida's long and outrageous hair fell over her face like a wet mop. She smiled teasingly at someone off camera. The picture hung lopsidedly and was held up by a cheap chicken shaped magnet.

The next picture was of Jack, except her looked slightly younger. And he looked much different from how he did now. His now albino white hair was dark brown. And his wardrobe was different as well. Jack usually wore T-shirts and Hoodie's, but in the photo he wore a white long sleeved shirt with a brown cloak. Frost and snowflakes sprinkled the top of his head. He smiled brightly at the camera. The picture stuck to the fridge with some help from a small piece of scotch tape.

The last picture made Rapunzel want to hurl.

It was a picture of Jack and Hiccup.

Jack looked exactly the way he did now; the picture was taken only a few days ago. Jack smirked at the camera, a long staff held over his shoulder. His eyes were narrowed like he was trying to look "cool," even though it didn't work. Hiccup stood beside him, his head taking up the left half of the picture. Instead of looking at the camera Hiccup smiled slyly behind him, looking right at Jack with a smile neatly sewn on his lips.

Jack noticed Rapunzel staring oddly at the picture of him and Jack. Her chest heaved unnaturally fast like a growing side effect of a heart attack.

He forced a smile. Ignoring the unfinished hot chocolate, Jack stepped beside Rapunzel. She sensed him there but remained still.

"That's my boyfriend, Hiccup." His words stabbed into Rapunzel like the cold end of a knife. She silently begged for him to stop talking but he continued. "He and his friend Toothless went into town for a few drinks." He stopped himself, wondering how much she might know. "You haven't seen them around have you?"

Rapunzel closed her eyes, opened her mouth to speak, and closed it again.

She shook her head. "No….I haven't."

**XXX**

Merida coughed from the dust floating in the air around her. Merida was never good with dust. It crawled down her throat and scratched its nails into her.

There was a loud rustling and the sound of the door opening.

"Jack?" She asked, hoping he came with a spare candle. Hers was beginning to die out.

Merida turned around expecting to see Jack grinning at her, his usual cocky smile that made her blush. Instead she faced a dark figure in front of her. Merida opened her mouth to scream, only to have it covered by a gloved hand.

**XXX**

You can only swim so far until your arms give up and leave you motionless.

Hiccup could practically reach out and touch the house. But it was so far.

He had reached the end of the lake.

But the house was so far.

He had survived everything.

They beat him till he was blue and purple in the face.

They violated him until he was ready to die.

They shot him, leaving him in the freezing cold water to bleed out or drown.

Yet he was still alive.

He had survived going to hell and back.

But the house was so far.

"Jack." The word left him like a prayer.

Hiccup remembered when Jack used to call himself Hiccup's night and shining armor. Hiccup called himself the prince. (He absolutely refused to be the princess.) Some nights when Hiccup fell asleep on the couch, Jack would lift him into his arms bridal style.

"I'm taking my prince to his throne." He had said. Hiccup buried his face in Jack's hoodie, taking in his sweet scent. Later Hiccup would sleep in that shirt. He wouldn't even change into his nightshirt. It smelt too much like Jack to take off.

Hiccup crawled onto the surface of the ground beneath him. It was wet and muddy from the rain. It stained his clothes and bathed him in filth.

His lungs gasped for the air they had been denied earlier.

His nails dug into the mud as he dragged himself forward. Hiccup took a sharp intake of breath when he felt a throbbing pain in his leg. His left leg had caught the bullet.

"AHHHH!" Hiccup let out the pained and desperate cry. He wanted to weep. Hiccup wanted to hold his knees close and rock back and forth. Most of all, he wanted Jack to hold him and tell him everything would be ok.

But it would not be ok.

Only, Hiccup wouldn't mind being lied to.

Hiccup could feel the blood escaping through his leg. The mud seeped into the wound no doubt ensuring an infection. The mud stained his vision till he was close to blind. _Was this what being injured in war felt like? Mud, blood, and everything around you posing as either a threat or an ally? _

"Jack."

Hiccup could say Jack's name as many times as he wanted to, but we wouldn't hear him.

Hiccup looked up expecting to see the house in front of him; well kept and waiting for his return with Jack inside.

Jack would be watching TV or reading a book suggested by Hiccup.

Jack would smile when Hiccup walked in through the door, his teeth the color of freshly fallen snow.

Jack would kiss Hiccup and ask him what took him so long.

Jack would,

Jack would,

Jack was not there.

The house was not there.

There was only a dirt path and a world of trees, taunting him, poking fun at the unlikeliest that Hiccup would ever be able to make his way through and see Jack again; alive, at least.

"Hiccup?" called a voice behind him.

Hiccup wanted to look. He wanted to turn around and see Jack there; his arms stretched open, waiting to be filled with Hiccup's embrace. He wanted Jack to wrap his arms around him and cradle him like an infant.

But Hiccup was _so tired._

He rested his head on the ground and waited. Waited for his night and shining armor to come and carry him away to bed.

He did not get his night and shining armor.

Instead he got Toothless.

**XXX**

Merida slapped away Greedler's hands. He smirked at her in the dim lighting.

"What the hell do ya think ur doin?" She demanded heavily in her accent. Greedler held up his hands defensively.

"Whoa, hold it sweet cheeks. I just came to give you some company. I didn't know you'd freak out." His lies were clear to Merida. He came to scare her, maybe even hit on her. It disgusted Merida.

"You aughta watch where your p't your hands. Next time I'll use your head for target practice." Merida was not afraid of Greedler. Not even a little.

"You're feisty. I like it." Greedler wasn't going to give up on her just yet. Even though he believed he'd seen much prettier girls in his time, he admitted that Merida was attractive. After all the times he'd try to something on Rapunzel he ended up being rejected coldly every time.

Merida scowled. The entire gang seemed untrustworthy. Not even Gothel's "innocent" small talk could get her to ease around them. Merida wished she had her arrows with her. She'd shoot one straight into Greedler's eye if he tried anything.

"If you don't mind, my friend is bleeding to death, so could you please hurry up with the med kit?" Greedler was growing sick of the girl already, but that didn't mean he still didn't want in her pants.

Merida simply nodded. She was finished with him. There was a hurt man upstairs she needed to help.

"Here it is." Merida grabbed the kit from the top shelf of a tall bookcase. The books were aged and dusty from years of neglect. Merida wondered how the kit got there in the first place.

"You might need a sewing kit too."

**XXX**

George yowled loudly when the needle pierced his skin again. Jack tried his best to get it over with but the man refused to hush.

Rapunzel watched from across the room, slightly smug at the sight of George in pain. She wished they all would suffer. Rapunzel wanted them all to pay for what they had done, especially to Hiccup.

_Hiccup._

Rapunzel knew they would find out about Jack. It was inevitable. She could only hope that they'd see that Jack clearly had not caught on about what they had done. He thought they were just drifters.

Once Jack was finished he admired his work. The flesh around the stitches was red and swollen, caked with a fine layer of his own blood. Jack patted him lightly on the shoulder, only to receive a cruel glare from George.

"Don't mind him. He's just a big baby." Gothel teased. Jack smirked; he kind of liked Gothel. She seemed too innocent and childish to take seriously.

"You know, the storm outside is getting pretty bad." Jack added to the silence. The rain outside knocked at the doors, requesting the right to enter. Gothel smiled smugly and glanced at him through the corner of her eye.

"Yes, quite. It'll be awfully hard to find our car in the brush. We left it after the accident. Don't know why. Guess your minds sort of go haywire after tragedies."

Jack didn't bother glancing at Merida before suggesting, "You could stay here till tomorrow. My boyfriend will have the car back by then."

Merida stiffened. The thought of them staying here was revolting. Her car was too low on gas to make it back to town so she was stuck here. Having Greedler so close made her want to vomit.

Gothel raised her hand, objecting. "Oh no. We wouldn't dare inconvenience you."

Rapunzel hated the idea of staying. She liked Jack and Merida. They were nice and polite to her, that's the exact problem. Rapunzel could not humor the idea of seeing them get hurt.

Jack raised his finger to protest. "It's not an inconvenience at all. We have a guest house you could use. It's really no problem. I insist." Jack didn't want them in the rain alone. Besides, no one here was leaving tonight. That is of course until Hiccup got back with the car.

That was the plan originally.

Gothel smiled, accepting the offer.

"Great. Merida, go get some more candles. I'm going to show them to the house." Jack looked back at Rapunzel. "You could stay for a while if you'd like. While your family get's settled you could finish your hot chocolate and talk for a while."

Gothel interrupted whatever Rapunzel was going to say. "That sounds nice dear. Rapunzel sure does love her hot cocoa." Gothel smiled falsely at her daughter.

"Great. I'll show you the way."

**XXX**

Toothless spotted Hiccup amongst the filth. At first he thought Hiccup was a large lump in the mud, until he started moving.

"Hiccup!" Toothless gripped Hiccup tightly, although Hiccup looked so fragile. Toothless was afraid he would break him.

Hiccup allowed himself to be held by Toothless. But he would not open his eyes. Hiccup knew he was found by Toothless, but he pretended it was Jack. He just wanted a brief moment to fantasize. Hiccup reached out his hand to touch Toothless's face.

"Hiccup….what the hell did they do to you?" Toothless demanded. Hiccup was battered, bruised, bloody, and filthy. Toothless could barely look at him.

"I-It's ok." hiccup reached out for Toothless to take his hand. Toothless interlocked their fingers. Hiccup was no longer afraid. He no longer hurt. He was content. He was far from happy, he would not be for a long time, but he was glad to be held, even if it wasn't Jack holding him.

"Jack." Hiccup repeated like he had many times before. Toothless clenched his teeth.

"No Hiccup. It's me Toothless. You're going to be alright. I promise you." Toothless tried to pull Hiccup to his feet. He could almost stand until he put pressure on his left leg. Hiccup collapsed into Toothless's arms. A loud sob escaped him.

"Jack."

Toothless wanted to kill the sons of bitches that did this to Hiccup. He would never be the same again. He was broken in so many ways.

"Were going home Hiccup." Toothless assured him.

It was sad how Hiccup's own mind had tricked him. To see the house when it truly was not there, was probably crueler than anything else he had experienced tonight.

"Home… Jack."

"That's right Hiccup. Home, Jack."

_Home._

Hiccup was going home.


	8. Authors note

**Attention:**

This story is not abandoned. I have been working on the next few chapters vigorously. Unfortunately due to a computer error the next chapter has been deleted. So I have to re-write it.

The next chapter will be up soon.

And then things will finally get interesting.


	9. Should I finish?

I GOT MY INSPIRATION BACK!

But before I actually post the next chapter, I need to know that this story is worth finishing. The topics of rape, murder, and gruesome images make me incredibly insecure about my story. Yes, there are so much worse, yet I can't shake the feeling every time I write that what I'm writing is _wrong and disgusting. _The encouragements I receive with my reviews are kind but before I finish I just need some reassurance that my story will be read, appreciated, and not marked off as another "gruesome rape fic with no payoff."

**Brief explanation for myself/you of the choices of made for this fic:**

The events of the story are supposed to keep faith to the source material. In all truth I love Pitch Black. His character is witty, smart, and tragic; however I felt the need to bring out his vulgar side for the source material. He _had _to be violent, cruel, vicious, and bastardly. If not then the readers would most likely not be as angry/disgusted by his actions and the payoff of his death would be unsatisfactory because the character is not despised enough.

Hiccup is _supposed _to be weak. Yes, he will be much more independent and strong in the later chapters, but for now he is a _victim._ He's meant to be harmed and broken so that the impact of the crimes shows in his current state and his character later on during the revenge. _This is meant for character development._

I do not _like _rape or support it. Again, it's all for the source material. If Hiccup was not raped then the story would not be as in depth and the revenge would not hold up. Simply beating and attempting to murder Hiccup would not cause enough uproar for Jack, Merida, and Hiccup's revenge to be so fierce and violent as it will be in the later chapters.

So SHOULD I upload the chapter? Or delete the story and pretend it never happened?

-LovelyDeath97


	10. Chapter 10

**THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! I post one thing about my insecurities with this story and immediately you all asked for me to finish! I'm so glad because the next chapter is already halfway done! Thanks you all again. And If you'd like to check out this incredible fanart for my story: ** post/57401373911/so-i-drew-a-thing-from-my-favorit e-hijack-fic

Flynn fidgeted uncomfortably in his sleep. For a moment he was envious of his brother's who had each other to keep company in their uninterrupted sleep. Both brothers' were unhesitant to give Flynn the bed alone, although they knew he'd snap a neck if he had to for the single bed.

Flynn's mind drifted back to the same image. Hiccup face down in the water. It wasn't like he hadn't seen such gruesome things before in the past. He saw them all the time. They were like everyday occurrences, sort of like people in suburbs seeing their neighbors mowing the lawn in the morning. It's something you just get used to seeing.

However this time it was different. Most of the time the people they killed died of quickly and without a sound. A silent death no one would hear or come investigate. So seeing Hiccup beaten, violated, and slaughtered that way made him shiver with repulsion. He took a human life with no motive besides the fact that they felt like it. Sure if they had let the two go they obviously would have gone sniffling to the cops, but the way he died… The way Flynn believed Hiccup to have died was a vain and painful death.

Flynn could almost picture it in his head; the bullet striking him in the hip or wherever it landed, and finally meeting the flesh of his back. Flynn had never been shot before. Did it feel funny? Was it cold? Could Hiccup feel the blood draining from his body even though he was slowly sinking into the cold water?

Flynn wiped at his eyes to push away the growing nausea. It did not subside however, instead his insides fought like they were trying to find the outside. His back lurched over, his arms covering his abdomen and squeezing like it would make a difference.

In the corner of his eyes Flynn noticed his brother's fidget in their sleep. His dry heaves turned to choked cries as he resisted the buckling of his knees and the sweat beading from his brow.

_Blood everywhere. Flynn tries to put a handkerchief down to stop it but the blood keeps flowing like squeezing a plastic cup and spilling the contents on the floor. The crimson stained his hands, he was guilty. He was so guilty for his crime. He was a murderer._

_A cold and bony hand grasped his shaking shoulders. The shattered nails on the hand grazed his skin, but he didn't notice his own blood as it mixed with the poisonous blood of the woman sprawled on the floor in front of him. Flynn snatched her limp hand. It felt so cold. Like a corpse. He stabbed again, fighting the nausea and the scream rising in his throat._

Flynn leaped out of bed. His shirt was soaked in his own cold sweat.

_The coppery liquid bled through her peach nightgown. It looked so angelic. Like something a mother would wear in one of those coffee commercials. Her chestnut hair was once so beautiful he bet. Flynn guessed that it once curtained her back and spun around her other shoulders whenever she turned to face someone with her gorgeous coffee eyes. They must have had such a light to them, glistening whenever she was excited or burning red whenever she was angry, either way they were bright like she had caught the stars in the sky all to herself; however, now they were flickering. Her chest began gradually incline. Her hand twitched like she was reaching out into the darkness of the room._

_Flynn tried to grab her hand again but a cold one snatched his wrist away. Those nails dug into the flesh of his skin again, branding him with small crescent moons. _

_The light in the woman's eyes flickered again, and little by little, like putting out the flame of a candle, the light in her eyes were gone._

Flynn snapped back into reality, although he wasn't sure if it was. A cold hand fell upon his shoulder. Flynn stood upright, knocking over someone with the sound of a cry followed by a shatter that broke through the shallow silence.

"Flynn, calm your shit!" screamed Onceler. Flynn looked around, expecting to see his hands covered in blood or feel the cold hand of a dying woman hold his shoulder. Instead he saw he was in his room. Onceler was rubbing at his temple while a broken photo frame lied on the ground beside him in a pile of glass.

"What's wrong?" Flynn asked.

The two brothers' exchanged looks, almost like a, "he's lost his mind" kind of look.

Greedler spoke up. "Flynn you were freaking out. You grabbed your head and started hyperventilating. We thought you were having a seizure."

Flynn shook his head. _No, no, no. Not again. Please not again._

The brothers reached out for him but Flynn ran past them, out the door and breathing in through gasps the whole time.

**XXX**

Merida sat beside Rapunzel, mentally observing her for any sign of abuse. The way she shivered and stared down at her mud soaked bare feet was like watching a woman slip into madness or plunge into a killing spree. However Merida did not believe Rapunzel would slip out a knife from her skirt and stab her like something from "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," Rapunzel seemed as harmless as a fly without its wings.

"Ya luk Banjaxed Babby." Merida commented in her heavy Irish accent. "Wuld ya like a cup of Coffee?" she asked, attempting to rip out a simple response from the girl.

Rapunzel pursed her lips, looking down at the floor till her long blonde hair fell over her eyes like golden, damp forest vines. Regrettably having to answer Rapunzel shrugged.

"You jaded? It's lashing petty heavy out 'ere. 'U seem flitters."

Rapunzel could not comprehend one word Merida was saying. Something about jitters and freeters? Jeter? Fritos?

"How long are you going to let us stay?" Rapunzel choked out. _Please say never. Please say that you hate us and hate our company and would like us to kindly fuck off and never return. _Rapunzel however did not let those profanities leave her shaking lips.

"I don't 'now, as long as ye need." Merida encouraged. Trying to get the smallest bit of assurance that Rapunzel wasn't going to fall into shock.

Rapunzel nodded, understanding that one way or another someone was most likely to get hurt. Someone was already hurt. It only made sense. Merida and Jack can't live.

Rapunzel stood up and retreated to the kitchen, hoping she could pour herself some coffee and add some distance between her and Merida.

Invisible blood stained her clothes, her hair, and her hands. She hated touching the room because it was evidence. Every second she stood here, another second Hiccup laid at the bottom of the ocean. Rapunzel wished she could march out the door and walk to the lake, keep walking till she was submerged. Maybe she'd find Hiccup's body. Drag him back to shore and hold him till the police came. They'd pry her away kicking and screaming, she'd beg for forgiveness as Jack and Merida shake their heads in disapproval. Hiccup would be taken away under a white blanket.

"I wish I could pull you out of there. You could still be breathing. Maybe If I swim fast enough…" Rapunzel touched her face gingerly, her raw fingertips inspecting her drenched cheeks. _Are those tears? Rain? When did I start crying?_

Unnoticed tears turned into obvious sobs, sobs turned into screams. Merida walked in through the door, the screaming sending an annoying buzz through her ears. Although she was trying to be nice to Rapunzel, her patience wore thin. _Are you crazy or something?_ She wanted to ask; though that would be rude. "Ar you awrite?" she mumbled, the screaming turning into howls. It was like the seven levels of hell only for the eardrums.

Rapunzel fell to her knees, green eyes wide open almost in shock. Her knuckles dug into her scalp like unsharpened knives. Her shaking knees collided to the floor with a _thump. _Throat sore and lobster red, she stopped.

Merida stood there in silence as Rapunzel trembled on the hardwood floors of the kitchen.

Rapunzel's mind drifted back to Hiccup. _He_ _lived here. This was his home._ _Did he paint the room eggshell white hoping it wouldn't chip over the summer, only to see it crumble away revealing the original, tacky orange of the walls? Did he hang up the posters of jazz musicians with mustaches and comical writing to be ironic or because he was pulling a prank on his boyfriend? Did he love his boyfriend? Would he marry him? Did Jack love him back?_

Rapunzel sniffled. Wiping her nose with her torn sleeve she looked up to Merida.

Merida stared down, her sea green collage T-shirt and matching short skirt clung to her body. She looked beautiful even with her unkempt red locks strangled with a ponytail that still spilled into her face. Rapunzel admired her, wished she could be her. Rapunzel wanted to slip into Merida's role. Be the friend who pops in unexpectedly to be greeted by old friends.

"C-Can I ask you a question?" Rapunzel stuttered. Her chest rose and fell normally despite the dry sobs that threatened to attack when she least cared for them. "What was Hiccup like?"

Merida overlooked Rapunzel as well. Skinny jeans that seemed too tight, digging into her pale flesh, a tank top that was see through and drenched enough to show her white bra, clearly visible beneath the fabric. Her long blonde hair fell in a tangled mess over her shoulders and down her back. It was long enough to touch the floor when she collapsed. Merida was so busy frowning at the poor girl's attire that she missed the question.

"Hiccup? What do you mean?" _Should I sit by 'er? Is she awrite?_

Settling to sit a short distance from Rapunzel Merida set down the coffee she hadn't remembered bringing with her. Lately her memory faltered a lot due to stress from archery try outs and her mother's overbearing meddling into her life. She assumed her mother couldn't possibly be more annoying than Rapunzel's.

"Was he nice? What was he like?" _Please tell me he was a monster. Please tell me he was a horrible human being who deserved to be violated, and left for dead at the bottom of the lake._

Merida faltered, unknowingly scooting closer to Rapunzel. _Was this girl all there? What 'appened to make her this way?_

"He was um…" she laughed away the awkwardness. Rapunzel brought her knees to her chest, there were gaping holes in the knees of her jeans, revealing them to be caked in dirt and scratched. "He was a runt at first. Jack and I, when we met him actually ignored him. Well, I 'id. He'd say, 'give im a chance' so I 'id. And he was great. Super brave, and very sassy. He used to 'all me 'archer princess." Merida smiled at Rapunzel, generally feeling comfortable saying these things to her. Rapunzel was like a shy puppy from the pound that you keep trying to train.

"Did you guys have fun together? When did Jack and Hiccup start going out? Did they love each other? _Please stop saying how great he is. Tell me he's despicable. Tell me he's a drunk, a liar, a cheat, even a nose picker will do._

Merida licked her lips, they were chapped and screaming for balm, however they'd have to wait. "We 'ad a berry time! Hiccup would come out with us and waste the 'ay babbling 'bout dragons and bragging about 'ow some 'ay he'd write a book about 'em. Other than that he'd 'elp Jack and me prank the teachers and we'd spend the nights building paper 'ights tryin to imitate the one's that come out every 'ear." Merida reminisced. Jack and Hiccup never stopped arguing the first time they all became friends, despite Jack being the one insisting they give him a chance Jack was unhesitant to wise crack at Hiccup every chance he could get. Sassy attitudes don't tend to mix well. Almost like some kind of competition.

"Jack and Hiccup started dating aboot a few years, months, weeks, can't remember. Though they seem to perfectly fit 'ike puzzles. I 'aught dem snogging and I never let them hear the end of it. By gods did they love each other. And they still do. I 'ink you can keep a secret, Jack was going to ask Hiccup to 'arry him!" she smirked. "Not now of 'ourse. But sometime dis year."

Rapunzel buried her face in her knees. She mumbled through shakes. Merida raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?" concern filled her voice.

Rapunzel mumbled again before pushing back her hair, "Do you think there's a hell?" she asked.

Merida physically moved back with alarm. Rapunzel seemed so fragile, so unstable, these questions and her attitude unnerved Merida. "Of 'ourse. Why?"

"I don't want to go to hell." Rapunzel choked. _Scream_ her throat pleaded. _Scream and let it out, scream till your throat bleeds and you drown like Hiccup drowned._

"Who says ur goin to hel? Merida demanded. "Did someone tell you that?"

Rapunzel reached into her shirt. The necklace was there, cupped in her hand. It felt like stolen property. Rapunzel was riddled with the same sick feeling shop lifters get after they walk out of the store with stolen eyeliner or nail polish. She wanted rip it away, throw it to the ground and leave, but it stayed. She _hated_ the necklace. She _hated_ Hiccup for asking them for help and not going looking for the road. She _hated_ her family for existing. She _hated_ herself for letting Hiccup die.

The necklace came away in one tug. Maybe it wasn't worth as much as she'd expected. The gold was real, and so was this. Rapunzel cupped the necklace in her hands, cautious not to give away what was inside them. Merida watched closely as Rapunzel brought her hands over Merida's open palms, and dropped the necklace into her hands.

Merida's eyes looked over the necklace. Hiccup hadn't showed it to her before. "What is this?" As Merida looked over the locket Rapunzel stood, the reality of what she'd done ever coming her.

"It's started now. It all happens tonight." She repeated the cold words to herself, trying to force it into her mind. _It's happening._

Merida opened the locket; the picture of Jack and Hiccup clearly visible in the round shape. Rapunzel eyed the kitchen sink. Her eyes lit up.

"Hiccup…" Merida looked up, expecting answers. Instead Rapunzel brought the frying pan down as hard as she could against Merida's head.

**XXX**

Flynn didn't immediately notice her. However it was hard to miss as she sped towards him, a frying pan clutched in her cold hands and a crazed look in her eyes. "Flynn!" she screamed. It almost resembled the noise of an animal. Her throat was so sore her voice came out in rasps.

"She knows! I didn't meant to- She found the locket and-" Rapunzel gripped her scalp again, the memories of Merida crashing to the floor spiraling. It was like looking through those children's toys that warp the images of the things in front of you.

Flynn tried to reason with her, she was obviously breaking down, going insane. Seeing that she wasn't reasoning Flynn slapped her abruptly across the face. "Calm down!" He grabbed her by her shoulders, shaking her roughly and ignoring her whimpers of protest. He narrowed his eyes, the man he was raised to be taking over. "What. Did. You. Do?"

Rapunzel's lip trembled as she choked out the truth. "She found the necklace. Of Hiccup. The boy from earlier. She knows."

Flynn let go, his expression faltering and his eyes bulging from the news. "Where is she?"

"I knocked her out with the frying pan. There's so much blood…" Rapunzel nearly fell to her knees again but Flynn held her up.

He made his way to leave but Rapunzel grabbed his shirt sleeve, silently pleading for him to tell her that everything would be ok. Be the brother she wanted but never got.

"Where are you going?"

"To kill her."


End file.
